McHenry County Blog

The two elected and one appointed incumbent Crystal Lake City Councilmen won  the right to sit up front for the next four years.

Here are the results:

• Jeff Thorsen – 1841
• Ralph Dawson – 1,808
• Cameron Hubbard – 1,798
• Jim Tomasello – 1,394
• Charles Ebann – 987

I think my analysis after the debate was accurate. Neither of the challengers sufficiently differentiated himself from the incumbents.

Friday, I received a campaign mailer from incumbent Crystal Lake City Councilmen Ralph Dawson and Jeff Thorsen.

The only problem is that I live in Lakewood, not Crystal Lake.

It was part of a mass mailing to “Registered Voter” to “Current Resident.”

I qualify on both counts.

The first rule of direct mail is to make sure the people you are sending it to live in the jurisdiction where you can get votes.

As I was delivering literature advising people to vote against the tax hike referendum, I saw Northwest Heralds with Lee Jennings stickers on them.

There’s a problem with that, too.

Jennings is running for Township Supervisor in Nunda, not Algonquin Township.

= = = = =
When I went out to deliver more literature in my role as Algonquin Township Republican Precinct Committeeman, I saw still more Northwest Heralds with stickers promoting the Republican candidacy of Nunda Township Supervisor Lee Jennings. This time I took camera. You see what I saw below:

Six years ago, it was two girls who joined forces to seek re-election to the Crystal Lake City Council.

This year, the boys are taking a page from their book.

How do I know?

Look at the fundraising invitation below and you’ll see it is for City Councilmen Jeff Thorsen and Ralph Dawson:

There are three vacancies and five candidates for the Crystal Lake City Council.

Sworn in tonight was Cameron Hubbard.

He has filed to be on the ballot.

Hubbard was appointed to replace Carolyn Schofield, who was in the audience dressed considerably less formally than when she appears in her public official persona.

In addition, veteran incumbent Councilmen Jeff Thorsen and Ralph Dawson are running for re-election.

The ballot order will be

• Ralph Dawson
• James Tomacello
• Careron Hubbard
• Jeff Thorsen
• Charles Ebann

The two challenging the incumbents are James Tomacello and Charles Ebann.

McHenry County Blog will be pleased to run press releases from any local candidate.

With its Home Rule powers, the Crystal Lake City Council signaled a majority is ready to change possession of up to thirty joints from a criminal to a civil offense.

Mayor Aaron Shepley led the opposition with Councilwomen Cathy Ferguson, a social worker, bringing her day job experience to bear.  Joining the three in opposition was Brett Hopkins, who said he saw it “in terms of black and white.”

The proposal, basically to decriminalize marijuana, following the example set by Chicago last month, was presented by Crystal Lake Police Chief Dave Linder after testimony from opponents and proponents.

His proposal “to allow Police to issue tickets for possession of small amounts of cannibals” was based on cost savings to the Department.

He pointed to Woodstock and McHenry as two local cities who had already gone the civil violation route.

Linder insisted his proposal “doesn’t represent softening of Police Department attitude toward drug enforcement,” but would “allow more flexibility…a more efficient option.”

Mayor Shepley came loaded for bear.

While complementing the Chief for bringing forth a proposal that the Chief thought would make law enforcement more efficient,” Shepley said that “at the end of the day what we have a a good old fashioned policy decision in a way that could have consequences.”

He then played show and tell, holding up two jars of parsley containing a total of 28 grams.  Possession of more than 30 grams would still be a felony, but in Crystal Lake, if the ordinance passes, the possessor would get a ticket.

“That is not a small amount,” Shepley argued.

Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller, one of three members of the CLCHS  Class of 1981, according to classmate Shepley (the other being Hopkins), said,”You could make a lot more thar 20 [joints].

“We’re not going to go soft on drugs,” Linder interjected.  “It gives the officer the availability to use another [option].  We do the same thing for alcohol, synthetic drugs [and] disorderly conduct.  In terms of time management, it’s not fiscally responsible [to arrest people for possession under 30 grams].”

Linder that a large percentage of misdemeanor charges were dismissed by the McHenry County State’s Attorney to which Shepley that perhaps Crystal Lake officials “need to have a discussion with the State’s Attorney’s Office.”

The Mayor also pointed out that the State had no criminal offense for synthetic drugs, so Crystal Lake’s passage of a ticketing offense was more stringent than state law, not less, as the issuing of tickets for marijuana would be.

Comparing ticketing for underage use of alcohol to Lidner’s proposal, Shepley drew a distinction between a drug which is legal for those over 21 and one “our legislature has determined that no matter how old you are you can’t have it.

“My fear with this is that we’re sending a message.

“If you are smart [enough] not to carry more than a certain amount of drugs, there is no possibility of jail time.

“I’m not in favor of this,” Shepley concluded.

Next up was Cathy Ferguson.

She zeroed in on arguments that it would cover “youthful indiscretions.”

“This does not cover juvenile cases, right?”

Linder agreed.

Ferguson, who works as a social worker, explained, “I treat kids with substance abuse.  I’m seeing these gets getting their drugs from their parents.

“I agree with you in principle, Aaron, that we’re sending a [bad] message.

“Marijuana of today is not the marijuana [of my youth].  A lot of other substances are cut into marijuana.

“When I look at statements that marijuana hurts no one [asserted by one proponent to the Council], that’s a falsehood.

“I prefer there be jail time attached.”

Ferguson then went after the discretion that the ordinance gives police officers.

“[For] one joint jail time is not warranted.

“Thirty joints deserves jail time.

“There’s too much wiggle room [in the ordinance."

Introducing a new aspect was Ralph Dawson.

“Nothing I’ve seen that David [Linder] has presented that the Department’s doing this for monetary reasons,” he said.

“I believe it will give a lot of people a second chance,” he continued.

“I see nothing negative here…better than hitting [youth] over the head.”

“Actually, I was going to move this to [be] discussion only,” Brett Hopkins said.

“It’s a difficult subject.  I’m pretty black and white.  The drugs are illegal. End of story.”

He compares it with enforcement of the sign ordinance.

Carolyn Schofield was next.

“I don’t think this stems from a moral issue.

“If it helps the Police Department–I really believe in him–I want to support him in this,” Schofield said.

The last to express his opinion was Jeff Thorsen.

“I think the Chief is the expert on the situation.

“We do have the right to put this into play.

“We set the law.

“Discretion – they think about that everyday.

I don’t thing a $500 to a $1,000 penalty is a minor penalty.

“If the Chief thinks we’re pulling one-third of our officers off the street, the [Chief is making sense].”

In rebuttal to Schofield, who had argued that consequences are not going to change what people do, Shepley observed, “That’s hat our criminal system is all about..  I would respectfully disagree.

“I think it’s absolutely the wrong way to go.”

He pointed out that he has been “insistent with things we have done to preserve the character of Crystal Lake.”

Mueller pointed out that the Council had “changed possession of liquor possession.”

Shepley repeated his argument that liquor was a legal drug, while marijuana was not.

Ferguson also weighed in on the “consequences” debate.

She pointed to why people pay income taxes.

“It comes down to no one wants to mess with them.”

“I’m trying to keep a level playing field.  If you have a better lawyer, you have a better chance of getting off.”

She repeated her concern that there was too much “wiggle room.”

Before the Council voted, Schofield expressed the opinion that the Council could “look at different levels.”

The first motion was to kill the ordinance.

Shepley, Ferguson and Hopkins voted to keep the status quo.

Mueller, Dawson, Schofield and Thorsen voted to change the criminal penalties to civil ones.

Then Mueller seemed to second Schofield’s idea to lower the threshold for a pot ticket.  She suggested 15.

After than the Council agreed to table the proposal until the Police Department had a chance to consider the consequences of some in between proposal.

An informal discussion was held Tuesday night by the Crystal Lake City Council about whether to allow slot machines (“video poker,” if you favor the idea) in town

After presentations by two gambling machine purveyors, City Council members expressed a 6-1 margin against turning Crystal Lake into “Potterville,” to put it in Mayor Aaron Shepley’s words.

“I’ll bet if we wanted to make Crystal Lake the mecca of adult entertainment, we could do that,” Shepley said.

“Just because we could do it doesn’t mean we should do it,” he said just before referring to “one of my favorite movies, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”

Comparing the scenes of Bedford Falls and Pottersville, he said, “If you don’t look at the extreme examples, you’re not looking at the whole picture.”

Presentations were made by representatives of two slot machine companies.

One, Stepanie Drougas, from Triple 7 Illinois, based in Lake in the Hills, told of the split of profits from the money gambled:

• 30% to the state
• 35% to the liquor licensee
• 35% to the machine owners (the ones at the meeting)

As I understand it, 5 percentage points of the state’s share goes to the local city or county (if unincorporated).

The Triple 7 Illinois woman estimated that each machine would generate $1,000 for the city each year.

“Your bars and restaurants are struggling.  This will give them a little shot in the arm,” she said.

Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller confirmed that the machines to be installed would not be the ones “sitting in bars now.”

“[Is it] basically equivalent to Vegas as to the speed it would spin?” Councilman Ralph Dawson inquired.

Jeff Thorsen calculated that $17 million could be gambled in Crystal Lake machines with $3.4 million going to the state.

“That’s a lot of money you’re pulling out of pockets,” he said.

Yours truly spoke in opposition on behalf of  the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake

I pointed out that each machine could be expected to pull $20,000 out of money now spent in local businesses on goods and services.

I explained that Methodists were holding a once-every-four-year General Conference in Tampa about which stories would surface later this week.

However, I explained the fights between liberals and orthodox Methodists that would end up in the stories would not be about gambling.

I told the Council that both liberal and conservative Methodists opposed gambling.

After the two gambling machine company representatives and I spoke, Shepley said,

“Let’s call it what it is. It’s gambling, period.  This is not Crystal Point Mall and pinball.”

Then he asked his colleagues how whether or not they favored allowing the machines in Crystal Lake:

• “Not,” said Brett Hopkins forcefully.  “I’m not going to open the door now.
• “I don’t really see the need,” Carolyn Schofield said.
• “I have a problem of introducing a sin so we can tax it.  Are those the revenues I really want to chase down and create,  I’m in the ‘No’ [column].”
• “Absolutely in the ‘No’ column,” said Cathy Ferguson.  She told of working with youth at the Arlington Park Race Track.  “I can tell you horror stories about people [there].  I do not want to have any part of that.”  Ferguson later told of visiting South Dakota.  “You cannot go anywhere for breakfast without gambling.  Those towns are dead.  It’s not doing what they wanted it to.”
• Ralph Dawson also spoke in opposition.  He pointed out that the gambling machines might “very well drive customers out of establishments.”
• “It’s not my job to decide what is or isn’t a sin,” Ellen Brady Mueller said.  “Got to bars and [you]see the same people sitting on the same stools [day after day].”  She indicated that a number are probably alcoholics, but suggested, “If that’s your addiction, you’ll find a machine.

“I think I’m probably in the same boat as the majority of the Council.

“I think it’s a fair thing to compare it to the pawn shop.  Those types of organizations tend to prey on the weak or people who are down on their luck.

“Do I find it somewhat disappointing bordering on disgusting that Illinois turns to gambling?” he asked rhetorically.

He characterized selling gambling as the answer to public financing problems as “snake oil.”

In the Illinois General Assembly, State Senator Pam Althoff voted for the authorization bill, while State Senate Dan Duffy voted, “No.”  That Roll Call is here.

In the House of Representatives Mike Tryon and Mark Beaubien voted in favor of the slot machine bill.  Jack Franks opposed it.  Here’s the House Roll Call.

= = = = =
Tim Kane wrote a story on the council consideration of gambling for Crystal Lake Patch. He pointed out that I began my presentation with my “telling City Council members that the Devil will come as an attractive salesman with a tempting offer. That offer, Skinner added, would be ‘hard-core slot machines.’”

In the Northwest Herald, Brett Rowland also referenced what I said:

“‘I’m sure it would help downtown,’ he said. ‘But I’m not sure downtown needs help. You built a nice downtown district without gambling.’

“He also said that if the City Council doesn’t want pawn shops, he couldn’t understand why it would allow gambling. The council decided last month not to create an ordinance that would have allowed pawnbrokers to operate in the city.”

For the second Thursday night in a row, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria was the site of a Republican event.  More sales tax revenue for my revenue-starved Village of Lakewood was one of my thoughts.

Last week, it was for State Senate candidate Karen McConnaughay to meet local Republicans.

This week, it was McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz’ fund raiser.

Marvelous deep dish pizza, of course.

Good thing I skipped lunch.

There was a more than a touch of class in the classical guitarist who entertained the crowd.  His name is  David Daoui (815-337-8707).

Politics, of course enveloped the room.

Allies from political wars past sometimes sat together.

Others were seating by the luck of the draw, meeting new people.

Donna’s mother, former State Rep. Rosemary Kurtz, was helping do the essential funding raising tasks while her daughter was making the rounds.

Lakewood Village President Erin Smith brought her husband and parents, who raise her on Gate 14 in Lakewood. Former Village Trustee Black Hobson and his wife were also in attendance.

McHenry County Board member Donna Kurtz has scheduled a fund raiser at Lou Malnati’s on Ackmann Road in Lakewood for Groundhog’s Day. That’s February 2nd, the day of the big blizzard last year.

The price is $25 per person and $40 a couple and the hours are 5:30-8:30.

Honored guests include Lakewood Village President Erin Smith and Crystal Lake City Councilman Ralph Dawson.

Front page news on both of Chicago’s papers today was the Cook County Board’s vote to phase out its hefty sales tax under the now out-of-office Todd Stroger.

The Crystal Lake City Council’s March, 2008, 75% city sales tax increase went into effect the same day as Cook County’s, July 1, 2008.

But there has been no pressure to repeal it.

Unlike in Cook County, there was no local Chicago Tribune beating the drums for repeal. The Northwest Herald did not even run a story the day the tax took effect

And it certainly did not run a campaign similar to the Tribune’s in which every day readers were reminded of the tax hike.

Those on the council who voted to impose the 75% city sales tax have no opposition this year.

Mayor Aaron Shepley has no opponent.

I am sure he has concluded that people in Crystal Lake just don’t care. A justifiable political conclusion.

All who voted for the tax were Republicans, but the Democrats in Crystal Lake are so weak they put up no opposition in the non-partisan election.

What a wedge issue they would have had.

It still bothers me that financing Vulcan Lakes was used as an excuse for imposing the tax. The same reason was used to impose a Tax Increment Financing district on much of the Route 14 area now virtually vacant, plus Vulcan Lakes.

It also bothers me that there was only one week’s notice.  Municipal officials around here don’t want a lot of public input on major decisions and giving virtually no notice certainly encourages lack of citizen participation.

There was an alternative way to finance development of Vulcan Lake, but it would have allowed anyone living in Crystal Lake to use the resulting recreation area.

Some Crystal Lake leaders apparently didn’t want outsiders to be able to enjoy the amenities–regardless of the lower taxes that would have been imposed on Crystal Lake residents and others shopping in Crystal Lake–if the McHenry County Conservation District had paid for the improvements with already existing taxes.

= = = = =

Besides Mayor Aaron Shepley, the other council members who voted to raise Crystal Lake’s city sales tax 75% are seen above.  Top row:  former Councilman Dave Goss and current Council members Ralph Dawson and Ellen Brady-Mueller.  Second row: Kathy Ferguson and Brett Hopkins.

The petitions for re-election are being circulated for Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley and Council members Cathy Ferguson, Ellen Brady Mueller and Brett Hopkins.

And, just in time for the campaign, there is an election kick-off party that required the of spending well over $10 million. $14.37 million, according to the Northwest Herald.

As pointed out in 2005, there was a cheaper way, at least for Crystal Lake area residents.

There was no need for a Tax Increment Financing District to pay for turning Vulcan Lakes into Three Oaks Recreation Area.

Indeed the announcement that a TIF would be formed to finance the project was what stimulated me to start McHenry County Blog. $115 million would be available, said the city’s consultant. Bill Cellini’s group won the contract from the council to do the development, but backed away from it after his name coming up in the Tony Rezko trial.

TIFs are just a way to force everyone (yes, everyone in any overlapping tax district, and because of McHenry County government and the McHenry County Conservation District, that means all county resident) not living in the TIF to pay for it.

It’s a tax increase that the city council voted on all of us.

Oh, wait. That isn’t the way it’s being financed.

With the recession and the decimation of the commercial strip on the Vulcan Lake side of Route 14, the city couldn’t sell bonds to pay for the enormous cost of TORA.

Instead, a majority of the council (Jeff Thorsen being the exception) decided to
raise the city sales tax 75%. Part of the excuse was that the extra tax money was
needed to finance the development of Vulcan Lakes.

The TIF option just didn’t work out.

The huge tax hike was passed right after the RTA Sales Tax was hiked even a higher percentage.

From a political viewpoint, there have been little or no negative repercussions.

The Crystal Lake City Council decided to use this second way to export part of the cost of developing Vulcan Lakes to those who don’t live, but shop in Crystal Lake.

Now, Crystal Lake is in the recreation business.

And, so is the Park District.

There are probably other such illogical arrangements, but the one I have seen over the decades is in Springfield.

There the reason is patronage jobs. I don’t know if that is the motivation here or not.

There was another way to finance the project, although it certainly would not have been as lavish as the city council has allowed this to become.

MCCD undoubtedly would not have spent, how much, hundreds of thousands of dollars on fancy street lights for a facility that closes at sunset.

That way was to convince the McHenry County Conservation District to take it over.

Had the council done so, our area would have finally gotten back some of the tens of millions of our tax dollars that has been redistributed north, northwest and west, like a kid slinging a bucket of water. The pockets of those in District 47 have ended up as empty as the bucket, another victim of Illinois’ having way too many local governmental units.

But control of the facility was the primary goal of city officials.

And maybe their names on a plaque. The edifice complex in action.

Bragging rights they have achieved include

• having been instrumental in constructing the facility and
• like Barack Obama, forcing the payment for it on their grandchildren.

Not to mention the ability to feature on their campaign literature what a great accomplishment opening the facility has been.

I couldn’t get close enough to take photos of the council members taking credit for the project without paying $5 for parking.

Not worth the price, so I’ll just run photos of the six council members who voted to raise the city sales tax 75%. There won’t be the same backdrop, but credit will go where it is due.

Shepley, Ferguson, Hopkins and Brady Mueller are up for election next spring. Expect to see TORA on their campaign literature…assuming they even have an opponent requiring them to print any.