McHenry County Blog

Last night while I was at the marathon Prairie Grove Elementary School Board meeting, Democratic County Board member Paula Yensen called to tell me why she had missed the Public Health & Human Services Committee meeting.

Sometime after 1 AM, I emailed her asking her what the inaccuracy was.

Eighteen hours later and I have received no reply.

But I did just read Northwest Herald reporter Kevin Craver’s blog in which he takes an unnamed “other county news sources” to the woodshed.

He writes Yensen had a work conflict, McCann was in the meeting room next door chairing a Finance Committee meeting and Miller was recovering from an auto accident.

Of course, two of the three could have attended by phone, as Hill did at one County Board meeting, and the third could have walked through the partition for the vote.  All she would have needed was someone to tell her when the vote was.  (She could have briefly recessed her meeting and cast her vote.)

Craver implies that the word “boycott” implies “collaboration.”

I’m not sure I buy that, but I’ll admit the word may have been a stretch.

I’ll leave it to readers to decide whether deciding not to vote on Jeff Thorsen’s nomination was justified.

Regardless, take a look at what Craver has to say in his latest post,

Reporter’s Notebook: Mental Health Board showdown

because it beyond whether the missing members were AWOL.

And just because people shouldn’t forget who voted against former McHenry County College Board President Scott Summers’ nomination without saying one single solitary word about why, here’s the list again:

Those opposing the nomination were

• Michele Aavang
• Yvonne Barnes
• Sue Drafkorn
• Joe Gottemoller
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill
• John Jung
• Ken Koehler
• Bob Martens
• Mary McCann
• Mary McClellan
• Anna May Miller
• Bob Nowak
• Nick Provenzano
• Ersel Schuster
• Carolyn Schofield
• Mike Skala
• Paula Yensen

In favor were

• Nick Chirikos
• Diane Evertsen
• John Hammerand
• Donna Kurtz
• Sandy Salgado
• Mike Walkup

If you have time, the 708 Board meets at 3:30 Thursday afternoon at its Crystal Lake office.

Chaired by Donna Kurtz a majority of four nominated Crystal Lake City Councilman, banker and holder of an MBA Jeff Thorsen to fill the vacancy on the 708 Mental Health Board.

A vacancy remains because an 18-6 majority vote on the McHenry County Board refused to ratify the nomination of former McHenry County College Board President and 2012 Democratic Party Board candidate Scott Summers for the post.

Voting for Thorsen were Kurtz, John Hammerand, Sandy Salgado and Mike Walkup.

The other three members of the committee–Paula Yensen, Anna May Miller and Mary McCann–boycotted the meeting.

Following the eighteen “No” votes, Chairwoman Tina Hill informed the Board that she would submit her own choice to fill the vacancy.

After the Public Health Committee vote Hill was asked by Mike Walkup whether she would put the nomination on the agenda for the County Board’s May 21st meeting and she said she would not be putting the name up for the County Board’s consideration.

Then Walkup said,

“The Chair promised us in her State of the County speech that this would be a new day.

“Instead she has now plunged us into darkness.

“I suggest that everyone make sure they have extra batteries for their flashlights because it will be a long, dark night.”

John Hammerand asked why anyone should attend committee meetings.

Others considered for the post by the Committee members were

• Danijela Sanberg
• Charles Wheeler
• Catheryn Perfetti
• Cathy Ferguson
• David Barber

After the vote Sandy Salgado said she was not leaving the committee voluntarily. Salgado is employed by Pioneer Center.

Those opposing the nomination were

• Michele Aavang
• Yvonne Barnes
• Sue Drafkorn
• Joe Gottemoller
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill
• John Jung
• Ken Koehler
• Bob Martens
• Mary McCann
• Mary McClellan
• Anna May Miller
• Bob Nowak
• Nick Provenzano
• Ersel Schuster
• Carolyn Schofield
• Mike Skala
• Paula Yensen

In favor were

• Nick Chirikos
• Diane Evertsen
• John Hammerand
• Donna Kurtz
• Sandy Salgado
• Mike Walkup

None of the opponents offered a word as to why they were voting against Summers.

Yesterday’s meeting of the McHenry County Board’s Management Services Committee resulted in inaction on the issue of putting a question on the April ballot asking whether voters want a direct election for County Board Chairman in 2014 has given Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks an opening.

When he passed petitions to ask voters whether they wished to adopt the County Executive form of government, he said at times that he was doing so just because the County Board wouldn’t put a referendum on the ballot regarding the at-large election of the County Board Chairman.

So, might Franks again introduce legislation to force a referendum.

Could he convince his Democratic Party colleagues to go along with him?

If he doesn’t or can’t, would he pass another petition to see a referendum on single-member districts, something that might actually help the local Democratic Party?

If memory serves me correctly, he passed such legislation about ten years ago for advisory referendums, suggesting that if the County Board didn’t follow the wishes of the electorate, he might just pass a mandate.

In researching what advisory referendums can be put on the ballot by petition, I found the following language:

Advisory referenda. The voters of a county may advise the county board, through an advisory referendum, on questions concerning

1. the number of members of the county board to be elected,
2. whether the board members should be elected from single-member districts, multi-member districts, or at-large,
3. whether voters will have cumulative voting rights in the election of county board members, or
4. any combination of the preceding 3 questions

The advisory referendum may be initiated either by petition or by ordinance of the county board.

Just from examining the agenda that newly-installed Management Services Committee Paula Yensen drafted, one could predict that nothing would come of the Monday morning meeting concerning whether the public should be allowed to vote on whether the Chairman of the McHenry County Board should be elected or not.

And, guess what?

Nothing did.

Parenthetically, let me point out that the previous County Board managed to put something probably more important on the ballot before they left office–a tax hike referendum.

So, the public will get a chance to vote on whether their property taxes are increased in April, but probably not whether they will get an opportunity to vote for the next County Board Chairman in 2014.

While 2014 sounds like it is a long way off, for the current insider system of selection of whose hands control County government to be changed in 2014, it has to be approved in April.

And, there is still a chance such a referendum on the ballot.

(Last day to adopt a resolution or ordinance is Tuesday, January 22nd, advised County Clerk Katherine Schultz.)

Committee member Mike Walkup brought up the topic of a special meeting, which takes one-third of the members to call.

Before that, however, Anna May Miller called for more input.

“I still am 110% in favor of allowing the public to weigh in on the subject,” but she said she though more time was needed for citizen comment, e.g., “different focus groups,” including “McCog for municipal perspective.”

“I don’t understand the need for speed on this issue,” she said, pointing out that under 20% of citizens would probably vote in April.

There was discussion of two options, one for a two-year term in which the County Board Chairman candidate would also have to be nominated as a district board candidate.  The other was a four-year term in which the Chairman would not have a vote on the County Board.

Non-member Nick Provenzano was allowed to address the Committee twice.

The first time, he contended County Board candidates “kind of made a grand bargain with the voters” by opposing Democrat State Rep. Jack Franks’ County Executive referendum.

“It was always assumed that we’d follow up immediately.

“I think it’s absolutely a bargain we should fulfill at the next election cycle.

“The decision was to get that to the voters as soon as possible,” he contended.

There was disagreement with that interpretation from member Ersel Schuster, who preferred limiting County Board Chairmen to two terms.

While she said she was “always for the electors being allowed to vote”… she was “totally comfortable with the existing process.

In December, Schuster ran for Chairman, along with Ken Koehler and Tina Hill.  Hill won.

Mike Skala, at his first Committee meeting, told of being told people “wanted change” and “wanted some turnover, fresh ideas, fresh perspectives” when he went door-to-door.

“I’m personally not in favor of it. I think what we have does work,” he said.

“I agree they the voters should need (an opportunity to vote on the issue.)  I don’t think it should be rushed to judgment.”

Anna May Miller suggested that “accountability” of the  Chairman was “the only issue that resonates with the public.”

“We’re trying to do this very quickly,” he said.

“Act in haste, repent in leisure.”

“That’s really right on,” Donna Kurtz interjected.  “It goes back to the problem we’re trying to solve.  The problem is how do I make government more responsive, how do I make it more honest?

“I better dam well sure be sure I’m not making the problem worse.”

But, if I understood her context correctly, Kurtz, referring to the at-large election of the Chairman, said, “Many of us wanted to do that on Day 1 when we took office.”

Advanced earlier by Schuster as a means of making the Board Chairman more accountable was the proposal of putting term limits in the Board Rules.

Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Kelly explained twice that doing so would subject the County to litigation. from not only an office holder who might want to exceed the term limit, but also from voters whose rights to see the person they wanted in office would be curtailed.

Kelly pointed out that neither the State Constitution nor current Illinois law allowed for such term limits for County Board Chairmen.

“Out concern is litigation,” she said.

Skala, who has chaired many a meeting while he was President of the Huntley District 158 School Board, pointed out,

“The way I’m reading the agenda, we couldn’t pass anything even if we wanted to.”

He then pointed out that “it comes down [to] if we have people that want to have a special board meeting to do it.”

Walkup, who carried the ball on the side of having an April referendum, said he though people out to be put on record.

Provenzano took the floor again, saying,

“The fact that you had no resolution on the agenda doomed this proposal.

“The only way to do that is a special election.

“We’ve talked about it for two years.

“There have been numerous public hearings.

“There’s been plenty of opportunity [for input].

“We do have all the answers; some just don’t understand [them].

“We have a four-year term.  Put it on the ballot.

“Let the County Board members vote on it.”

“It’s not something where you just toss a coin and it’s heads or tails,” Kurtz replied. “We could paint ourselves into a very dangerous situation. We could potentially create far worse problems than we have now.”

Closing the debate was non-member, newly-elected Nick Chirikos:

“I respectfully disagree with Mr. Provenzano. Fully a third of this board is new [and] haven’t had the opportunity to weigh in on this subject.”

Discussion also covered the monetary requirements to finance a countywide campaign for Board Chairman.

“I agree with some who have said [candidates would be ]self-funding millionaire or millionaire backing or special interest [financing, such as] developers,” Walkup said.

Newly-elected McHenry County Board Chairman attended about three-fourths of the discussion.

On Monday morning, the top ranking official labeled a Democrat will have her spot in the sun.

Named head of the Management Services Committee, Lake in the Hills McHenry County Board member Paula Yensen is chairing her first big meeting.

At it will be discussed whether a referendum should be put on the April ballot asking voters if they want to elect the Chairman of the County Board in an at-large election.  (See my Wednesday article.)

Since the deadline is rapidly approaching for placing such a referendum om the ballot and the agenda does not indicate any action will be taken, getting the issue before the County Board will take some fancy footwork.

Here are the committee members:

• Chairman: Paula Yensen
• Vice-Chairman: John Hammerand
• Member: Donna Kurtz
• Member: Anna May Miller
• Member: Ersel Schuster
• Member: Michael Skala
• Member: Michael Walkup

The outgoing County Board managed to put a tax hike on the April ballot.

Of course, a majority of the County Board may not favor electing the County Board Chairman.

After the election of officers, the new McHenry County Board Chairman (woman, what’s she want to be called?) appoints one person from each District to a Committee on Committees.

That’s the committee that recommends who should be put in what slots.

(There are temporary appointments until then in which newly elected members take the position of the person they replaced. For example, new member Carolyn Schofield is the temporary head of the Finance Committee, taking the place of retiring Scott Breeden.)

When Tina Hill announced her Committee on Committees appointments, they were all women.

One of the female county elected officials told me she was saying, “Yes!”

Here are the appointments:

• District 1 – Anna May Miller
• District 2 – Donna Kurtz
• District 3 – Mary McClellan
• District 4 – Sue Draffkorn
• District 5 – Paula Yensen
• District 6 – Mary McCann

All are veteran members, except McClellan.

I learned of McClellan’s support for Hill at Barb Wheeler’s Lake Zurich mid-summer fund raiser.

You will note that Democrat Yensen represents her district on the committee.

At the end of the meeting, when the men learned it was their turn to throw the Christmas Party, it was revealed that Hill and Yensen had chaired last year’s holiday festivities.

I asked McHenry County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Bissett for his take on the election.  His reply is below:

• fiscal responsibility
• accountability and
• transparency in government

Democrats are running in all six McHenry County Board districts.

Two, Kathy Bergan Schmidt (District 3) and Paula Yensen (District 5), are incumbents.

One, Schmidt, seems likely to fall by the wayside without the pull of a Barack Obama victory.

In 2012, Mitt Romney is leading Obama 54 to 44 in McHenry County.

The other, Yensen is running fourth, almost a hundred votes ahead of the fourth Republican.

In District 1, however, newcomer Nick Chirikos seems about to keep the partisan balance on the County Board 22-2.

In District 5, Paula Yensen is barely edging out newcomer Michael Rein.

Note that Green Party candidate Frank Wedig has again topped the 5% level necessary to keep the Green Part as an “established” party. Such status relieves Green Party candidates for County Board from having to get a really high number of petition signatures to get on the ballot.

Democrat Nick Chirikos, who is running in District 1, is nudging out incumbent Republican Bob Bless, as you can see below:

District 6 results show victories for the four Republicans.  Without consideration of early and absentee ballots, Jack Franks’ candidate Ryan Heuser is running 376 votes behind Ersel Schuster, one of the Republican women he attacked.

Democrats in District 2 also were behind prior to the adding of early and absentee votes:

Likewise in District 4, Democrat Mary Margaret Maule is trailing behind the four GOP candidates.  She attacked John Hammerand in her first mailing.  Hammerand is running first.

Commenting on the totals you see above, Maule said, “I am very proud of the race that I ran and thankful to everyone for the support I received.

“I extend my congratulations to my colleagues and hope to work with them to continue building a vibrant and strong McHenry County.”

For the second time, District 5 Republican non-incumbents have joined forces to put out a mailing.

You can see the first combo here and the one in the mail below.

The back of the mailing features Skala:

The two incumbents running for re-election are John Jung and Tina Hill.

The four Republicans home to defeat Democratic Party incumbent Paula Yensen.

The first political entry was Undersheriff Andy Zinke driving a Sheriff’s Department vehicle. Note the sign with his name and title on the door.

I say “political” because I never saw him in a parade before he announced he was running for McHenry County Sheriff in 2014 with Sheriff Keith Nygren’s full endorsement.

Maybe I wrote too soon.

I see that a truck carrying Lake in the Hills officials came before Zinke.

Since they are elected officials, their photos certainly belong in this article.

In the cab was Village Trustee Steve Harlfinger.

I recognize him because he comes to Grafton Township Board meetings in support of the Township Trustees.

Other village officials and family members were in the back of the yellow truck.  Please help me identify them.

And while he’s not a politician, Lake in the Hill’s first Police Chief Irv Floress (can you remember the early 1960′s?) and his wife Lois were the Parade’s Grand Marshalls.

The last time I talked to Floress he was living in a lake community south of Rockford.

There were a couple of fire engines from the Northern Illinois Fire Museum.

While it’s non-political the truck with the message that the Lake in the Hills Historical Society had saved Ford School had been saved was neat enough to merit a photo.

The Dan Duffy for State Senate contingent came next.

Duffy’s volunteers were handing out plastic hands that, when shook, made a noise and looked as if they were clapping.

I asked one volunteer to hold up what she was passing out.

One of the next entries was Miss Lake in the Hills in a Black Diamond convertible.

Next came the Democrats.

And, as the sign on the side of the cars says, besides incumbent District 5 Democrat Paula Yensen,  there was another County Board candidate, Nick Chirikos, who is running in District 1.

I turned around and found another Democrat.  Looking at the photos, I note that the word “Democrat” does not appear on the signs.

Intermission time.

Next came a dance school whose name I didn’t catch, but it had high steppers, as you can see.

Immediately thereafter was a group playing the Star Spangled Banner on violins.  What a treat?

I thought that was the end of the parade and got ready to leave.

It turns out the pokey entry belonged to District 2 McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz.  Gone was the husband-powered Kurtzmobile.  A spiffy red car was the replacement.

Entertainment was provided by a band and singers from Living Waters Church.

Walking with them was a clown named Caasi.

A car and people handing out candy for State Rep. Mike Tryon were the next political entry.

Close behind was a black pickup truck with signs for District 5 GOP County Board members John Jung and Tina Hill, plus District 1 County Board member Anna Miller.

Must be something about Lutherans, because right behind came another Lutheran Church entry.

This time it was Crosspoint Lutheran Church of Lakewood near Lou Malnati’s.

More coming.