McHenry County Blog

Slim advertising have apparently loosened standards for political inserts at the Northwest Herald.

I can’t remember the campaign (one in the Cary area pops into my mind), but a former managing editor pledged that a political insert would no longer be allowed the day before an election.

The Republicans in Nunda Township, labeling themselves “Team Nunda,”
paid for an insert that I didn’t get, but discovered while reading the paper at the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake. The church is located just north of the Algonquin-Nunda Township line, which is Crystal Lake Avenue.

So, it appears the local GOP candidates didn’t waste their money on the Algonquin part of Crystal Lake.

The Team Nunda sign is reproduced on both sides of the three color campaign piece.

Endorsements from

• former State Senator Dick Klemm
• current State Senator Dan Duffy
• State Rep. Mike Tryon
• McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren
• McHenry County board members Ed Dvorak, Mary Donner and Barb Wheeler

are featured on one side.

The other side has endorsements from

• State Senator Pam Althoff
• McHenry County Treasurer Bill LeFew
• McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler
• McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer
• McHenry County Coroner Marlene Lantz
• Bryan Javor, Young Republicans Chairman

And there’s a big

on both sides.

Not only Algonquin Township, but Nunda Township rolled out campaign literature at the Crystal Lake Expo.

Both were found at the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee booth, which was right on the first aisle of the exhibition.

The booth looked more like a Nunda Township-sponsored one than one put up by the Algonquin Township folks.

That was because all the township trustee candidates had yard signs. You see Nunda Township Trustee candidate Lee Jennings above.

True, you could see a sponsor’s sign on top, but the six Team Nunda red and white yard signs dominated the booth. Here you see Algonquin Township Trustees Linda Lance and Lowell Cutsforth, both running for re-election, at the booth.

But, back to the literature.

There’s a side with “Team Nunda” candidates listed, even the ones who are not opposed. An “Early voting begins March 16th” is highlighted in pale yellow.

The values the Republicans tout as sharing with constituents are

• Teamwork
• Managed Growth
• Fiscal Responsibility
• Quality Road Maintenance
• Promoting Programs to Assist Residents

The reason for ignoring the two Democratic Party candidates for township trustee who are on the ballot (not phrased that way, obviously):

We have the experience and desire to maintain a strong and secure township government for Nunda Township residents.

The other side of the folded 8½ by 11 inch sheet of paper has a pitch for voting for Team Nunda, a web site address and another reminder of early voting.

Strangely, Township Supervisor John Heisler is missing from the candidates listed on the sign, but he is in the endorsement list. Township Clerk Bridgett Porvenzano is not mentioned at all. Both are unopposed, but so are Township Highway Commissioner Don Kopsell and Assessor Dennis Jagla and they are on the sign.

There’s a panel of endorsements and supporters surrounding and above the 4 by 4 foot sign that first appeared prior to the primary election.
They include

• Dick Klemm, former State Senator
• Dan Duffy, State Senator
• Mike Tryon, State Representative
• Keith Nygren, McHenry County Sheriff
• Ed Dvorak, McHenry County Board
• Mary Donner, McHenry County Board
• Barb Wheeler, McHenry County Board
• Pam Althoff, State Senator
• Bill LeFew, McHenry County Treasurer
• Ken Koehler, McHenry County Board Chairman
• Pam Palmer, McHenry County Auditor
• Marlene Lantz, McHenry County Coroner
• John Heisler, Nunda Township Supervisor
• Bryan Javor, Chairman, McHenry County Young Republicans

Click to enlarge the images.

= = = = =
For those of you who don’t know much about townships, they perform three basic functions: assessing, road maintenance in unincorporated areas and hand out local welfare, called General Assistance. Crystal Lake is in four townships. The two major ones are Algonquin and Nunda. The horizontal dividing line is Crystal Lake Avenue. The western part of Crystal Lake (west of our home in Lakewood on Meridian Street, in fact, is Grafton Township. The far Northwestern corner is in Woodstock-dominated Dorr Township.)

Two incumbent township trustees were dumped by Republican voters in Nunda Township.

One, Kevin Sarnwick, was an appointed incumbent.

The other Richard Meyers was also an appointed incumbent.

Taking them out were newcomer Joni Smith and rejected appointed trustee aspirant Kevin Jennings.

The results follow:

• Tom Palmer – 581
• Joni Smith – 540
• James Schlader – 512
• Kevin Jennings – 480

Notice the fall off of votes for Team Nunda candidates as folks proceeded down the ballot. Their order is the same as on the Team Nunda signs.

Results for the two who lost follow:

• Richard Meyers – 412
• Kevin Sarnwick – 388

I spotted my first political signs of the February 23rd Republican primary election yesterday.

They are for “Team Nunda.”

The slate includes unopposed Supervisor John Heisler, opposed incumbent Assessor Dennis Jagla and opposed Trustee candidates

• Tom Palmer (incumbent)
• Joni Smith (challenger)
• Jim Schlader (incumbent)
• Lee Jennings (who unsuccessfully sought appointment)

In addition to the “Team Nunda” 4 by 4 foot sign, each of the candidates on that sign have smaller color coordinated yard signs. You can see them if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

Trustees left off the sign are appointed incumbent Dick Meyers and incumbent Kevin Sarnwick.

Also missing from the sign are unopposed Road Commissioner Don Kopsell and Clerk Bridgett Provenzano.

If someone would like to tell me why which trustee candidates made the slate and which didn’t, I’ll bet that would be an interesting story.

I spotted my first political signs of the February 23rd Republican primary election yesterday.

They are for “Team Nunda.”

The slate includes unopposed Supervisor John Heisler, opposed incumbent Assessor Dennis Jagla and opposed Trustee candidates

• Tom Palmer (incumbent)
• Joni Smith (challenger)
• Jim Schlader (incumbent)
• Lee Jennings (who unsuccessfully sought appointment)

In addition to the “Team Nunda” 4 by 4 foot sign, each of the candidates on that sign have smaller color coordinated yard signs. You can see them if you click on the picture to enlarge it.

Trustees left off the sign are appointed incumbent Dick Meyers and incumbent Kevin Sarnwick.

Also missing from the sign are unopposed Road Commissioner Don Kopsell and Clerk Bridgett Provenzano.

If someone would like to tell me why which trustee candidates made the slate and which didn’t, I’ll bet that would be an interesting story.

As I mentioned before, township officials get paid really well.

Especially in comparison to municipal officials.

Not to mention school board, park board and miscellaneous special districts, where there is no compensation except

When Cary School Board member Chris Jenner made his pitch for people to run for local office, however, he didn’t list townships as a government whose officials are up for election next spring.

So, why do people run for public office?

Most of the posts up next spring don’t pay anything.

“Public service” is often mentioned as a reason for running for office and that is undoubtedly a motivation for some, maybe many.

But it was put more crassly by the guy who taught the first campaign school I attended.

I remember he was from the Republican National Committee. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name.

There were three reasons people run for office, he said, and all started with the letter “P:”

• Power
• Prestige
• Pecuniary

The first two are obvious. I took the last one to mean pay, but, given Chicago’s long history of political corruption, money obviously does not have to be limited to pay.

Looking at just the salaries for Nunda Township, you can see why people might want to hold the offices.

Right now, the pay is

• Supervisor – $64,350
• Highway Commissioner – $81,990
• Assessor – $70,875
• Clerk – $12,700
• Trustees – $150 per meeting

But, raises are in the offing for those elected next April.

• Supervisor – $66,900
• Highway Commissioner – $85,230
• Assessor – $73,700
• Clerk – $13,200
• Trustees – $156 per meeting

And, they are scheduled to increase about 4% per year.

Incumbent Supervisor John Heisler and Road Commissioner Don Kopsell have picked up petitions to run for re-election.

Already in Nunda Township two people are passing petitions for township assessor. Incumbent Dennis Jagla will be challenged again by Alan Weaver. Weaver ran as an independent in 2005 after Republicans didn’t slate him.

When Walt Romanus died recently a name from past political contests—Dick Meyers—came up as his replacement. He has gotten nominating petitions, as have incumbents Kevin Sarnwick, Jim Schlader (who ran for county board in the GOP primary), Tom Palmer. Lee Jennings, who applied unsuccessfully for the Romanus vacancy, is also gathering signatures.

So far, incumbent Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano has not picked up a packet of petitions.

Republican Party primaries will be held in Algonquin, Dorr, Grafton, McHenry and Nunda Townships. The Democratic Party has not requested that primaries be held to select candidates in any McHenry County Township.

= = = = =
The source of my “Three P’s” motivation for running for office?

Republican National Committee campaign veteran Ray Humphreys in a campaign school at Illinois College in Jacksonville.  Humphreys had been a West Virginia state representative, elected in 1950,  and ran for congress in 1936 and 1938.

As I mentioned before, township officials get paid really well.

Especially in comparison to municipal officials.

Not to mention school board, park board and miscellaneous special districts, where there is no compensation except

When Cary School Board member Chris Jenner made his pitch for people to run for local office, however, he didn’t list townships as a government whose officials are up for election next spring.

So, why do people run for public office?

Most of the posts up next spring don’t pay anything.

“Public service” is often mentioned as a reason for running for office and that is undoubtedly a motivation for some, maybe many.

But it was put more crassly by the guy who taught the first campaign school I attended.

I remember he was from the Republican National Committee. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name.

There were three reasons people run for office, he said, and all started with the letter “P:”

• Power
• Prestige
• Pecuniary

The first two are obvious. I took the last one to mean pay, but, given Chicago’s long history of political corruption, money obviously does not have to be limited to pay.

Looking at just the salaries for Nunda Township, you can see why people might want to hold the offices.

Right now, the pay is

• Supervisor – $64,350
• Highway Commissioner – $81,990
• Assessor – $70,875
• Clerk – $12,700
• Trustees – $150 per meeting

But, raises are in the offing for those elected next April.

• Supervisor – $66,900
• Highway Commissioner – $85,230
• Assessor – $73,700
• Clerk – $13,200
• Trustees – $156 per meeting

And, they are scheduled to increase about 4% per year.

Incumbent Supervisor John Heisler and Road Commissioner Don Kopsell have picked up petitions to run for re-election.

Already in Nunda Township two people are passing petitions for township assessor. Incumbent Dennis Jagla will be challenged again by Alan Weaver. Weaver ran as an independent in 2005 after Republicans didn’t slate him.

When Walt Romanus died recently a name from past political contests—Dick Meyers—came up as his replacement. He has gotten nominating petitions, as have incumbents Kevin Sarnwick, Jim Schlader (who ran for county board in the GOP primary), Tom Palmer. Lee Jennings, who applied unsuccessfully for the Romanus vacancy, is also gathering signatures.

So far, incumbent Township Clerk Bridgett Provenzano has not picked up a packet of petitions.

Republican Party primaries will be held in Algonquin, Dorr, Grafton, McHenry and Nunda Townships. The Democratic Party has not requested that primaries be held to select candidates in any McHenry County Township.

= = = = =
The source of my “Three P’s” motivation for running for office?

Republican National Committee campaign veteran Ray Humphreys in a campaign school at Illinois College in Jacksonville.  Humphreys had been a West Virginia state representative, elected in 1950,  and ran for congress in 1936 and 1938.