McHenry County Blog

A note from District 6 McHenry County Board candidate Shawn Green:

“It was a great experience speaking with the folks in District 6 throughout this campaign season and getting to know you better; I was honored to receive support from so many of you.

“We came up a bit short in this primary bid, but I believe much was accomplished in terms of bringing about awareness to the core principles of leadership, accountability, and transparency.

“We must continue to stress these points as we work together to elect our Republican nominees this November.”

There are two slates of women who have teamed up and the campaign has not been particularly pretty.

Incumbents Ersel Schuster and Diane Evertsen have been matched against incumbent Mary McCann and challenger Michele Aavang.

I liken it to a wrestling match in one link.  If you’d like to read the story, it’s here.

In any event, the four ladies are leading all the guys, plus one other female candidate, as you can see below:

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Now that all precincts are reporting, but with early and absentee votes still to be added in, the finishing order is
Diane Evertsen
Mary McCann
Ersel Schuster
Michele Aavang

And you can see what District 6 volunteers for Shawn Green’s McHenry County Board candidacy are distributing here:

Any other local candidates have campaign literature that hasn’t gotten posted on McHenry County Blog?

Send it to the email address at the left hand side of the page.

The following post card has been sent out by Coral Township’s Shawn Green in his campaign to make the final four in GOP primary returns in District 6:

Green’s web site is here.

McHenry County Blog doesn’t get many letters, although the email address is on the left hand side of the page.

With the election coming, I figure others might like to follow the example of Huntley School District 158 resident Fred Macciocchi Sr. and weigh in with their opinions.

Here’s his Letter to the Editor:

Mike Skala

Shawn Green

If we want more tax-and-spend politicians, elect Skala and Green.Having attended several Dist 158 School Board meetings while these men were board members and/or board president, many interesting events occurred. It seems their wives, as employees of Dist. 158, got nice pay raises.

At the same time, residents of the District had to live with a tax increase for the schools that ultimately cost nearly twice the amount that has been suggested. After which several million dollars were found to have been “over-looked” in the lead-up to the referendum. Of course it was too late by then.

Just before that referendum passed, a video/audio tape was sent home with Huntley High School students. The tape was a form of “electioneering.”

These reflect only a few issues surrounding these men.

Now Skala and Green want to bring their leadership and oversight skills to McHenry County.  Don’t let this happen.

Fred Macciocchi Sr.
Huntley

A press release from Mike Shorten:

Shawn Green To Be Featured Guest On This Weeks Shorty Show

This week’s Shorty Show will feature Shawn Green, candidate for the McHenry County Board in the 6th District.

Green will be joining host Mike Shorten to discuss his candidacy for the Republican party’s nomination and a seat on the board in the general election.

Green is one of ten Republican candidates in the 6th district vying for one of four slots on the November ballot.

This weeks show starts at 8:30pm on Thursday March, 1 and can be heard live online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/shortyshow.

Listeners are encouraged to call in and share their thoughts on show subjects at 714-364-4343. A recorded version of this weeks program will also be available on the same site.

The Shorty Show is an online radio show hosted live every Thursday night by Crystal Lake’s Mike Shorten.

Each weeks shows include interviews with political candidates, elected officials and representatives from non-profit and community groups as well as discussions on current events from local to nationally.

Anyone wishing to be featured as a guest on future shows can contact Mike Shorten at mike.shorten@gmail.com.

Below are the answers that District 6 County Board candidate Shawn Green provided to the Alliance for Land, Agriculture and Water.

ALAW County Board Candidates Survey: 2012 Primary Election

A. Land Use

1. Do you agree that new development should be located where infrastructure exists, to minimize the extension of new roads, utilities and services, and protect farmland and water recharge areas? YES

2. If elected, will you support permanent protection of agricultural land and the agricultural industry in the County? YES

3. Do you agree or disagree that new rural development costs more for the extension of infrastructure (roads, water, sewer and services) than it brings to the County in taxes and that those extra costs are passed on to the existing taxpayers? YES

B. Water Resources

1. Would you oppose any land use change that would exceed a locally recharged aquifer’s capacity? YES

2. If elected will you enforce use of the SARA – Sensitive Aquifer Recharge Areas map developed by the County Water Resources Department, as a determining factor in every land use change decision? YES

3. Do you support redistributing groundwater from water-rich areas to areas that have over drawn their groundwater? NO

4. In your opinion, will McHenry County be able to get Lake Michigan water? NO

C. The Role of County Government

1. Should the county provide support services to municipal governments, for example issuing and enforcing municipal building permits, administering and enforcing the Storm Water ordinance? NO

2. Do you support a county housing program where the county purchases, constructs, remodels, rents, sells homes throughout the county and in municipalities? NO

3. Do you support a county bus program, where the county takes over responsibility for established service between select cities and townships? NO

4. Should the county health department report to the county board as opposed to an independent board of directors? YES

5. Do you think county government should increase expenditures and the scope of its activities, which will increase taxes to its residents? NO

D. Transparency and Commitment

1. County board records indicate that the average number of meetings necessary for attendance by a County Board Member is 8. This includes two full board meetings a month and two meetings a month for each committee (generally three) the member is assigned. Are you able and willing to make the commitment to represent your constituents to this extent? YES

2. During the last primary election 32 candidates for county offices voluntarily filled out the ALAW initiated Statement of Economic Interests BEFORE the election. This form is now required once you are elected, but we need to know before we elect you. Will you follow suit and file yours with us now? (Form attached with mailing instructions.) YES

3. Do you agree that all scheduled county meeting agendas and minutes, including committee and sub-committees, should be posted on the County web site? YES

4. Would you have voted to raise the county board members salaries? NO

5. Would you have voted to increase the real estate tax levy by 1.5% thus increasing the amount of real estate tax collected by the county by $1.1 ml.? NO

E. Short Answer. Only the number of words indicated will be published in the response report. (please add a page if you need more room, but remember that we can only print the number of words indicated and reserve the right to edit your response for that reason. Thank you.)

1. If you are elected to serve the residents of McHenry County, what external state and local agencies do you think are important for the county to liaison with and how would you make sure that information is flowing both ways with that agency? If you are currently serving and are an appointed liaison, please tell us what agency you are assigned and how you accomplish effective two-way communication. (50 words)

It is vital for the County to continue its commitment to Emergency Management. I will utilize the knowledge gained from my 14 plus years with a very large police agency to ensure two-way information flow. I’ll also know what is necessary and what is a waste of resources.

2. By protecting agricultural lands and soil resources, groundwater and its natural recharge can also be protected. What will you do to provide that protection? (50 words)

I will insist on responsible growth and will listen to the experts- not the special interests.

3. Most municipalities in the county have their own economic development commissions or committees. Economic development has to occur where there is existing infrastructure. The county funds the private McHenry County Economic Development Corporation ($635,985. for the 2009-2012 term) to create development in the county outside of municipalities. Is this a good investment of taxpayer money? (50 words)

In its current form, the EDC is not a good investment. There is no accountability for the huge amount of money the County provides, and there are no measures of success. More importantly, this involvement in private enterprise is beyond the scope of the County government’s proper role.

4. Do you think Fleming Road, Alden Road and other county roads that do not serve highly developed commercial areas, need to be widened and “improved” at this time? (50 words)

Only improvements necessary for public safety, or to prevent major reconstruction costs in the future (such as filling pot holes, repairing pavement buckling, etc.), should be taken on for these types of roadways.

5. What weight should you as a county board member give the opinions of citizens affected by zoning decisions, special use permits and road projects? (50 words)

Board members are representatives of their districts and are entrusted to make decisions on behalf of their constituents. This means listening to the opinions of said constituents, not deciding on our own what we as board members think is best for them.

6. What in your background qualifies you to serve the public as a county board representative and what do you intend to accomplish if elected to the County Board. You may also use this space to provide additional information regarding any of the “yes / no” answers given above. (100 words)

I am a veteran police sergeant, Republican Precinct Committeeman, former Board of Education President, McHenry County homeowner, husband, and father. Like everyone reading this, I care deeply about preserving what is great about McHenry County and fixing what isn’t so great. This is a wonderful place to raise a family and do business; as your representative on the County Board I will utilize my leadership abilities, along with my commitment to governmental accountability and transparency, to make sure it stays that way. For more information, please visit: www.electshawngreen.org

Saturday night’s crowd of candidates also gave opening statements.

And, as on Friday, some targeted like a laser beam on the tax hike issue. (See also Part 1 and Part 2.)

But before beginning, let me remind you of those incumbents who voted to increase the tax levy so much that the tax take from property owners will be as high as allowed by state law.

Those running for re-election are in boldface type.

• Robert Bless
• Scott Breeden
• Sue Draftcorn (a switch)
• Mary Donner
• Jim Heisler
• Tina Hill (a switch)
• John Jung
• Donna Kurtz
• Mary McCann
• Pete Merkel
• Anna May Miller (a switch)
• Marc Munaretto
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Ken Koehler

Michael Stanard, running for a spot on the GOP primary ballot drew the first slot to speak and said, “I would [have]voted against an increase in the tax levy.”

District 6 incumbent Diane Evertsen of Hartland Township said, “I voted against an increase in the tax levy. This is exactly the wrong time.”

Coral Township’s Shawn Green, also running in District 6, gave the same message: “I did not support the Board’s decision to increase the tax levy.” While he suggested the levy will have to be increased from time to time, “now is not the time to do it. With no new construction, the slightest increase will lead to an increase in taxes.”

Rachel Smith of Wonder Lake, another District 6 challenger, pointed out she knew the estimates of the average homes tax increase was $8, but

“$8 can help feed my family for a week if I go to Aldi’s.

“The government needs to live within its means.”

Marengo Alderman Corey Brackmann, also running for a District 6 Republican slot, said he didn’t think raising the levy at this time was a good idea.

He pointed out that he had “voted against the proposed increase in the City of Marengo.”

District 5 aspirant Michael Rein of Woodstock added this thought [remember all of this is in the opening statements]:

I also think the tax levy should not have [been] raises. ”

He urged voters to look at how his opponents had voted the last two years, not just this year.

“People who voted against the tax levy also voted to increase their [own] salaries,” he added.

[See

McHenry County Board Votes on Salary Hikes

Voting "No" were

• Virginia Peschke
• Kathy Bergan Schmidt
• Ersel Schuster
• Paula Yensen]

“I was opposed to the increase in the tax levy,”  said David LaGue, the only farmer on the ballot in District 6.

“Workable alternatives [exist].”

He added that it wasn’t a good idea when when the economy was doing poorly.

Huntley School District 158 Board President Mike Skala agreed with everyone up to that point.

“I would not have supported the tax increase,” he said. “I led the effort to keep our levy flat.:

[Afterwards, I asked what that meant. Skala explained that his Board was abating taxes that were levied in order to keep the tax bill flat.

When I asked if that meant the school district could take a 4.5% increase for 2013, he admitted that was the case. (The 4.5% would consist of the 1% CPI increase allowed this year by the Property Tax Cap, plus the 3% allowed next year.)]

Michael Stanard, challenger in District 6, explained,

“I’m in favor actually of reducing the levy.

“The only way for the government to get smaller is to take the money away.

District 6 incumbent Ersel Schuster voted against hiking the tax levy as well. She said that there “should be an outside audit” to identify items that could be cut.

McHenry County Board incumbent Ersel Schuster voted against the tax hike.

She said there “should be an outside audit” to identify unneeded expenditures.

Missing from their forum were

• District 5 incumbent Tina Hill
• District 5 incumbent John Jung, Jr.
• District 5 incumbent Virginia Peschke
• District 6 aspirant Michele R. Aavang
• District 6 incumbent Mary McCann
• District 6 non-incumbent J. Vincent Ranzino

Those who voted for the levy hiking taxes on this year’s bills are in boldface type. The others who did so are mentioned in the articles.

Melissa Denker.

Remember that name.

For those of you who can’t remember reading about her candidacy for Dunham Township Republican Precinct Committeeman, take a trip through this recent McHenry County Blog article.

19 years old.

McHenry County College student.

Computer literate.

Tea Party.

The future of the Republican Party, if its members want a future.

Not yet elected (although sure to be, since there is no opponent on the GOP primary ballot), Denker already has a web site.

And, it’s not just a place holder.

It has valuable content.

She attended the Young Republicans Candidates’ Forum for District 5 and 6 McHenry County Board candidates.

She tells a bit of what the candidates said and offers her opinions.

Here’s a sample of her writing style:

Second, even though some candidates didn’t show up… * Cough* Incumbent Mary McCann * cough* Michele R. Aavang * Cough* Cook County Deputy Sheriff  J. Vincent Ranzino * Cough -Excuse me , I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting 6 out of the 10 candidates running.

Read why she was impressed with

• Michael Stanard
• Ersel Schuster
• Shawn Green
• Diane Evertsen/David LeGue

Primary voters get to vote for four candidates because there are four seats to be filled.

It’s 42 days until the primary election, but early voting starts February 27th.

Candidates not on her favorable list could change her mind, I sense, but what if she doesn’t wait until election day to vote.

The Young Republicans provided a public service Saturday night by sponsoring a candidates night for McHenry County Board candidates in District 5 and 6.

The Friday night counterpart for District 2, 3 and 4 candidates, on the other hand, had three incumbents who defended their maximization of the tax take from taxpayers.

Only $8 a household was the best defense.

Four incumbents skipping the Saturday night’s affair (tax hikers in boldface type):

• Tina Hill – District 5
• John Jung – District 5
• Virginia Peschke- District 5
• Mary McCann – District 6

There only incumbents from Districts 2, 3 and 4 who missed the Friday night meeting were County Board Chairman Ken Koehler from Crystal Lake and Wonder Lake’s Draffkorn.  Both voted for the tax hike.

I wondered if the absence of those who voted “Yes” for big levy was because the tax hike question asked of District 2, 3, and 4 candidates the night before.

To their credit two of those from District 2 who voted to maximize the tax take, Jim Heisler and Donna Kurtz attended and gave their defenses.  Koehler also voted for the one and one-half percent tax hike, the most allowed by the Property Tax Cap.

In District 3, Mary Donner, who also supported maximizing county taxes, was in attendance defending her vote.

Of the incumbents absent in District 5, Jung supported the tax hike and Hill did not.  Peschke did not cast a vote.

In District 6, incumbent Mary McCann was the only incumbent missing.  She supported the tax hike.

So, when the same question was asked of candidates in District 5 and 6 as was asked of those from District 2, 3 and 4, there was no one on the stage to defend the maximum extraction of taxes possible from us taxpayers.

Do I sense an issue that might have some traction?

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The roll calls that might interest you on the tax hike:

Who Voted to Raise Your County Taxes?