Majority of Crystal Lake City Council on the Ballot Next Year

Four of the seven member Crystal Lake City Council are up for re-election next year. Mayor Aaron Shepley Council member Ellen Brady Council member Cathy Ferguson Council member Brett Hopkins Shepley, Brady and Ferguson were first elected in 1999, so, … Continue reading

Final Unofficial Results Show Lutzow for Supervisor, Gasser for Road Commissioner and Lukasik for Clerk in Algonquin Township

The McHenry County Clerk posts the following results for 5,013 (number of votes for Supervisor) Algonquin Township ballots under the heading “Unofficial Results – All Precincts Reporting”: Supervisor CHARLES A LUTZOW, JR (REP) 2,630 52.46% ELLEN BRADY MUELLER (REP) 2,366 … Continue reading

At Tonight’s Second Library Referendum Vote, Four CL Council Members on Ballot

At tonight’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting, there will be seven people allowed to vote on whether a second advisory rererendum to borrow $30.1 million shall be put on the April 4th ballot. Four of them will be on the … Continue reading

Algonquin Township Republican Primary is a Free For All

On the first day of filing in Algonquin Township Republicans have come out in what is sure to be the bellwether Republican Primary Elections.  As of 5pm here is who has thrown their hat into the ring: Algonquin Township Supervisor: … Continue reading

Filing for Crystal Lake Offices Next Week

Because the City of Crystal Lake has a primary election if too many people file, it has a petition filing date earlier than village, park district, library district, fire protection district, schools and other governmental bodies. Crystal Lake City Clerk … Continue reading

Slot Machine Supporters Roll Snake Eyes in Crystal Lake…Again

Crystal Lake last considered allowing slot machines (euphemistically called “video gaming” by supporters) in Crystal Lake in May, 2012. The vote was 6-1 in opposition with only Ellen Brady-Mueller supporting allowing them. Local bar and restaurant owners advanced the issue … Continue reading

District 155 Meeting with South High School Bleacher Neighbors Short-Circuited by Neighbors’ Suit

The table for those scheduled to participate in the meeting in the Crystal Lake High School District 155 Board Room were labeled with who should sit where. But there was no meeting. At 5:13 District officials were served with a … Continue reading

Slot Machines in Crystal Lake: No, No, No, No, No, No, Who Am I To Judge?

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 … Continue reading

Ribbon Cutting on Virginia Street TIF Project

The expensive Tax Increment Financing District remake of Virginia Street from Kwik Kopy to the Pizza Hut is finished “on time and on budget,” Mayor Aaron Shepley told a group of contractors and local businessmen this morning on the northeast … Continue reading

The Politicians at Crystal Lake’s July 4th Parade

OK. You got me. It’s July 3rd. And it wasn’t sweltering hot.  I found the shade most of the hour and a half 90-something entry parade. The biggest political entry was Congressman Joe Walsh’s. He followed Congressman Don Manzullo and … Continue reading

Sales Tax Hike Phase-out in Chicago, But Not in Crystal Lake

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 … Continue reading

Two Crystal Lake City Councilwomen Announce Re-Election Bids

There were four people who have run for the Crystal Lake City Council at Wednesday’s McHenry County Republican Central Committee meeting at the VFW in Woodstock. The first two I saw were incumbents Ellen Brady Mueller and Cathy Ferguson. Since … Continue reading

Muni Pork

I’m sitting in Crystal Lake City Council Chambers waiting for the passage of the resolution asking McHenry County government to recognize the importance of the city watershed protection ordinance and what should occupy the minds of most in the audience, … Continue reading

Crystal Lake Council Asks Country Zoners to Enforce Watershed Ordinance Restrictions

The resolution that Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield initiated at the election night meeting two weeks ago was passed unanimously Tuesday night. The most startling information that I discovered listening to the discussion on the matter was Councilwoman Ellen Brady Mueller’s revelation … Continue reading

Carolyn Schofield Gets Watershed Ordinance Recognition Resolution on City Council Agenda

At election night’s Crystal Lake City Council meeting, City Councilwoman Carolyn Schofield, elected last year, took the lead in getting a resolution on the agenda at tomorrow night’s meeting asking for recognition of the city’s Watershed Ordinance by county government. … Continue reading

Early Returns for County Board District 2 Point to Donna Kurtz Victory, Might Be Blowout

Just got back from my polling place at the Main Beach House. Any thoughts that disgusted voters would storm the ballot boxes turned out to be nonsense, at least looking only at the paper ballots. Of course, I could be … Continue reading