McHenry County Blog

Yesterday, the scene was set for explaining why Algonquin Township has had primary elections instead of caucuses as the method of selecting candidates for township office since the mid-1970’s.

It all started when incumbent Republican Township Assessor Forrest Hare was defeated by 3 votes in a 3000-ballot township caucus, but denied a recount by the majority of precinct committeemen on the township committeemen who wanted the young reformer out of office.

That outraged Forrest’s supporters, among whom was WIVS radio station owner Mal Bellairs.

Forrest decided to run as a write-in candidate.

You know that write-ins very, very rarely are victorious.

Every weekday morning from the caucus to the general election, Mal put the heat on the local Republican Party in support of Forrest’s candidacy.

I remember driving down Route 47 on the way to Springfield and wishing I could hear his whole program that was disappearing between Mazon and Dwight.

The short of it was that Forrest beat the Establishment candidate about 2-1. About 3,500 people voted and Hare got about 2,000.

After Forrest won, I was over in the state senate chamber for something or other and my high school classmate, then state senator, Jack Schaffer approached me in the back of the Republican side. He suggested that we had to do something to make sure such a fight never happened again. He had backed the teacher.

We decided that township central committees should have the right to have a primary election governed by state law, rather than the township central committee. And, with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House, we passed such a law.

Since then, Algonquin Township has always opted for a primary election. I remember Nunda Township’s having followed suit at least once.

Contention of township office, a not bad paying set of jobs, has been minimal except when a public official retires or dies. Active primary contests resulted when Township Road Commissioner Del Miller died and when Township Supervisor Tom Schober died.

An upset occurred when Fox River Grove True Value hardware store co-owner John Opatrny and a friend ran as a team for township trustee. They sent out a joint post card and won.

Right now Algonquin Township’s Republican precinct committeemen are being polled to see whether they support a caucus or a primary election.

I’ve cast my vote for a primary.

I think voters ought to have a direct say in who is on the ballot for township office.

Yesterday, the scene was set for explaining why Algonquin Township has had primary elections instead of caucuses as the method of selecting candidates for township office since the mid-1970’s.

It all started when incumbent Republican Township Assessor Forrest Hare was defeated by 3 votes in a 3000-ballot township caucus, but denied a recount by the majority of precinct committeemen on the township committeemen who wanted the young reformer out of office.

That outraged Forrest’s supporters, among whom was WIVS radio station owner Mal Bellairs.

Forrest decided to run as a write-in candidate.

You know that write-ins very, very rarely are victorious.

Every weekday morning from the caucus to the general election, Mal put the heat on the local Republican Party in support of Forrest’s candidacy.

I remember driving down Route 47 on the way to Springfield and wishing I could hear his whole program that was disappearing between Mazon and Dwight.

The short of it was that Forrest beat the Establishment candidate about 2-1. About 3,500 people voted and Hare got about 2,000.

After Forrest won, I was over in the state senate chamber for something or other and my high school classmate, then state senator, Jack Schaffer approached me in the back of the Republican side. He suggested that we had to do something to make sure such a fight never happened again. He had backed the teacher.

We decided that township central committees should have the right to have a primary election governed by state law, rather than the township central committee. And, with Republicans in control of both the Senate and the House, we passed such a law.

Since then, Algonquin Township has always opted for a primary election. I remember Nunda Township’s having followed suit at least once.

Contention of township office, a not bad paying set of jobs, has been minimal except when a public official retires or dies. Active primary contests resulted when Township Road Commissioner Del Miller died and when Township Supervisor Tom Schober died.

An upset occurred when Fox River Grove True Value hardware store co-owner John Opatrny and a friend ran as a team for township trustee. They sent out a joint post card and won.

Right now Algonquin Township’s Republican precinct committeemen are being polled to see whether they support a caucus or a primary election.

I’ve cast my vote for a primary.

I think voters ought to have a direct say in who is on the ballot for township office.

Where is Mal Bellairs when we need him?

The short answer is WIVS-AM radio (850 on the dial) owner Bellairs is retired.

During the 1970’s, he used his Crystal Lake radio station across from The Freeze to inform listeners about things political, among other topics. I listened on the way down Route3 47 to Springfield, but lost the signal at about Interstate 55.

He would have sponsored the type of debate that Rockford’s news-talk station WNTA sponsored yesterday.

U.S. Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) faced off against challengers Robert Abboud (D-Barrington Hills and Scott Summers (G-Harvard).

Due to the advance in technology, you can hear the hour-long debate in four 15-minute segments.

Downloads can be obtained here.

More of Bellairs role in the political arena.

My friend Forrest Hare was elected Algonquin Township Assessor in 1969. He was 26, I think.

He followed the assessment law, which his predecessor most certainly had not. That meant assessing all property consistently, whether it be farm land–which at the time got no special tax break–or new homes, which were assessed at 60% of market value, even though the average home in the county was assessed at 43%. (That was when the “official” assessment level was 50%, not the present 33% of a three-year running average.)

Forrest so enraged developers and the few farmers left, that the Establishment put up a young teacher.

In the Crystal Lake Thanksgiving Day Parade, Barrington Hills gentleman farmer, former Palatine Township Republican Committee, former Cook County Sheriff Dick Ogivlie top assistant, Governor Ogilvie Illinois Racing Board Chairman entered a manure spreader that had signs which said,

“Garbage In, Garbage Out.”

It targeted Forrest.

In the contest for re-nomination, the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee had a multi-location caucus.

It was in 1973 and I was in my first session as state representative, so I couldn’t offer much more than advice.

Forest created “Homeowners for Hare” and ran a skillful campaign.

Still, his amateurs, mainly owners of relatively new homes who had previously been taken to the property tax cleaners, were facing the “organization,” with my high school classmate and legislative colleague State Senator Jack Schaffer on the other side.

Voting was in Algonquin, Cary-Grove High School and Crystal Lake Community High School. After the ballots were cast, they were brought back to CLCHS to be counted.

As I remember Forrst telling me, the counting went on until late in the morning. After it was over, he had lost by a handful of votes.

He asked the judges if they were sure of the results.

Bleary eyed, they replied, “Of course not!”

The Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee would not allow a recount.

So, Forrest ran a write-in campaign.

Mal Bellairs was outraged at the refusal to allow a recount.

Between Forrest’s write-in announcement and the general township election, Bellairs featured the contest.

Forrest trounced the young school teacher, who was the Republican candidate.

After that Jack and I agreed that it would probably be a good idea if party central committees were allowed the option of conducting official party primaries in addition to party caucuses. We changed state election law.

Algonquin Township has had a primary election every election since then.

Alex McArthur, who turning into a strong supporter of mine and a strong advocate for open space in Barrington Hllls as its village president, probably wouldn’t not be too happy with the way those who bought his farm tried to zone it for more than the traditional 5-acre zoning in his village.

= = = = =
Don Manzullo is on the left, Robert Abboud in the middle and Scott Summers on the right. Photo positions are not necessarily an indication of their places on the political spectrum.

Where is Mal Bellairs when we need him?

The short answer is WIVS-AM radio (850 on the dial) owner Bellairs is retired.

During the 1970’s, he used his Crystal Lake radio station across from The Freeze to inform listeners about things political, among other topics. I listened on the way down Route3 47 to Springfield, but lost the signal at about Interstate 55.

He would have sponsored the type of debate that Rockford’s news-talk station WNTA sponsored yesterday.

U.S. Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) faced off against challengers Robert Abboud (D-Barrington Hills and Scott Summers (G-Harvard).

Due to the advance in technology, you can hear the hour-long debate in four 15-minute segments.

Downloads can be obtained here.

More of Bellairs role in the political arena.

My friend Forrest Hare was elected Algonquin Township Assessor in 1969. He was 26, I think.

He followed the assessment law, which his predecessor most certainly had not. That meant assessing all property consistently, whether it be farm land–which at the time got no special tax break–or new homes, which were assessed at 60% of market value, even though the average home in the county was assessed at 43%. (That was when the “official” assessment level was 50%, not the present 33% of a three-year running average.)

Forrest so enraged developers and the few farmers left, that the Establishment put up a young teacher.

In the Crystal Lake Thanksgiving Day Parade, Barrington Hills gentleman farmer, former Palatine Township Republican Committee, former Cook County Sheriff Dick Ogivlie top assistant, Governor Ogilvie Illinois Racing Board Chairman entered a manure spreader that had signs which said,

“Garbage In, Garbage Out.”

It targeted Forrest.

In the contest for re-nomination, the Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee had a multi-location caucus.

It was in 1973 and I was in my first session as state representative, so I couldn’t offer much more than advice.

Forest created “Homeowners for Hare” and ran a skillful campaign.

Still, his amateurs, mainly owners of relatively new homes who had previously been taken to the property tax cleaners, were facing the “organization,” with my high school classmate and legislative colleague State Senator Jack Schaffer on the other side.

Voting was in Algonquin, Cary-Grove High School and Crystal Lake Community High School. After the ballots were cast, they were brought back to CLCHS to be counted.

As I remember Forrst telling me, the counting went on until late in the morning. After it was over, he had lost by a handful of votes.

He asked the judges if they were sure of the results.

Bleary eyed, they replied, “Of course not!”

The Algonquin Township Republican Central Committee would not allow a recount.

So, Forrest ran a write-in campaign.

Mal Bellairs was outraged at the refusal to allow a recount.

Between Forrest’s write-in announcement and the general township election, Bellairs featured the contest.

Forrest trounced the young school teacher, who was the Republican candidate.

After that Jack and I agreed that it would probably be a good idea if party central committees were allowed the option of conducting official party primaries in addition to party caucuses. We changed state election law.

Algonquin Township has had a primary election every election since then.

Alex McArthur, who turning into a strong supporter of mine and a strong advocate for open space in Barrington Hllls as its village president, probably wouldn’t not be too happy with the way those who bought his farm tried to zone it for more than the traditional 5-acre zoning in his village.

= = = = =
Don Manzullo is on the left, Robert Abboud in the middle and Scott Summers on the right. Photo positions are not necessarily an indication of their places on the political spectrum.