Citizen Inaction Gives CL Park District Ability to Borrow $3.5 Million

The Crystal Lake Park District could have asked voters for permission to borrow $3.5 million to pay for these purposes: 2 playground replacements 1 dump truck 1 pickup truck with plow Lippold synthetic turf replacement Lippold flood relief projects Several … Continue reading

Where the $3.5 Million the CL Park District Plans to Borrow Will Go

The Crystal Lake Park District is planning to borrow $3.5 million. The proposal does not need voter approval, although, if 3,010 people sign petitions, a referendum would have to be put on the ballot this fall. (For those interested, petitions … Continue reading

Illinois Leaks Spotlights CL Park Board Perks

Reprinted with permission from the Edgar County Watchdogs’ Illinois Leaks: Crystal Lake Park District Commissioners gift themselves thousands, while wanting to sell Bonds – BY JMKRAFT ON APRIL 23, 2018 • ( LEAVE A COMMENT ) Crystal Lake, IL. (ECWd) – CLPD Chairman Debbie Gallagher While … Continue reading

NWH Moves Planned $3.5 Million Bond Sale by CL Park District from Paid Legal Notices to an Article

McHenry Country Blog warned Crystal Lake Park District taxpayers about the proposed borrowing of $3.5 million last Tuesday. Now, new Editor Jon Styf has moved it up to the news pages: Crystal Lake Park District considers selling $3.5M in debt … Continue reading

My Precinct at 5 PM

Readers know that I am following the Lakewood Village Trustee race. In 2011, only 28 people voted and the highest number of votes received by a trustee was 19. There was no contest. In 2013, 37 people went to the … Continue reading

Cost Comparison for Two Government Land Purchases In Crystal Lake Area

Both McHenry County College and the Crystal Lake Park District are in the process of buying land in the Crystal Lake area. Here’s the comparison: $1,000,000 for 20 acres = $50,000 per acre from McHenry County College $625,000 for 27 … Continue reading

CL Park District Site for Pool-Community Center Located on Southwest Side of District

A press release from the Crystal Lake Park District about a 27-acre property in Lake in the Hills across Ackman Road from Lakewood’s Lou Malnati’s Pizzari proposed for purchase: The Crystal Lake Park District Board of Commissioners is excited to … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Park Board Now Has Seven Members

Back when Crystal Lake Park Board members wanted to talk among themselves without violating the Open Meetings Act, they decided to increase the size of the board from five to seven members. A referendum was proposed and passed for a … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Park District Write-In Candidate Michele Hartwig Fails to Get Enough Votes

There remain two vacancies on the seven-member Crystal Lake Park Board after write-in candidate Michele Hartwig for only 17 votes. To win a seat, Hartwig had to get as many votes as signatures she would have had to gather to … Continue reading

Two People Could Win Park Board Seats with Write-In Campaigns – 103 Votes Needed

Five seats are up at the Crystal Lake park Board in April’s election. Terms are expiring for Deborah Gallagher Jerry Sullivan Angel Collins Caroline Bachour-Chemaly Thomas Aquilina But there are only three people running for the Park Board: Angel Collins … Continue reading

State’s Attorney’s Office Contacting New County Board Members Holding Other Elected Positions

Multiple sources have told McHenry County Blog that the McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi’s Office is making contact with the three newly-elected members of the County Board to advise them of the conflict of interest that would exist if … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Park District Planning to Tax to the Max

Thursday night there was a workshop at the Crystal Lake Park Board to discuss the tax levying process. The presentation assumed that the Board wanted to extract as much money as possible from the taxpayers: Take the entire amount allowed … Continue reading

The Contest-That-Wasn’t for Crystal Lake Park Board

There was no contest for Crystal Lake Park Board this spring. But, there could have been. The three unopposed winner were Larry Wheeler – 1,771 Paul Myers – 1,745 Richard Passavant – 1,630 Look at the ballot order below and … Continue reading

Voting at Crystal Lake’s Main Beach House

Voters got shunted into the little room without a lake view again today. So much for the Park District’s being able to recognize that voters might like to see what their tax dollars have bought. One good thing was that … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Park District Looking Outside for New Director

Crystal Lake Park District Director Kirk Reimer has confirmed that no one currently on the park district staff is under consideration to replace him. Three “outsiders,” so to speak are under consideration and Reimer said that the selection could be … Continue reading

Zane Seipler Out Campaigning on Election Day

Most local candidates think campaigning time is over the Sunday before the election. It’s not over, of course, until the polls close at 7 PM. Today, standing out in front of my Crystal Lake Park District Main Beach polling place … Continue reading

Shepley Moving Back Toward Viking Dodge as Pool Site?

The rumor mill says that Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley now favors the Viking Dodge site for a pool and community center, so perhaps this graphic by “Heck of a Guy” Crystal Lake blogger Allan Showalter of its fiery demise … Continue reading