A statement given by McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano to the Finance and Audit Committee Thursday morning: When I was first elected to the County Board I had the opportunity to help shepherd through the first ever Ethics Ordinance in … Continue reading
The Chicago Sun-Times ran an article yesterday that took three years to write. It was about how UNO, the charter school outfit backed by House Speaker Mike Madigan, spent money provided by governments. Since UNO doesn’t operate in our back … Continue reading
Pete Gonigam, Publisher of the First Electric Newspaper, sued McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nyrgen when the former top cop refused to release the report about an investigation of his Chief Deputy and chosen replacement Andy Zinke. Mary Gardner was Gonigam’s … Continue reading
A press release from Grafton Township Assessor Al Zielinski: Grafton Township Assessor Laments a Return to Acrimony. HUNTLEY, IL (August 21, 2015) – “Maybe there’s something in the water preventing the township from working together in the interests of its residents.” … Continue reading
According to Pete Gonigam’s article on Thursday’s Freedom of Information Act hearing on attorney’s fees, there was an additional $5,000 fine ordered by Judge Thomas Meyer. It was levied “against the Sheriff’s Office last month for ‘willfully’ withholding the report,” Gonigam … Continue reading
$78,299.96 to be exact. That’s what it will cost taxpayers because former McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren refused to provide information that a decision of the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Division said he should make available under the Freedom … Continue reading
Where was the Chicago Sun-Times in the 1970’s when I introduced a bill to require that all not-for-profit corporations which obtained a majority of its funding from government be subject to the Freedom of Information Act? The bill garnered a … Continue reading
Wednesday night about 30-35 people went to McHenry County College to learn about the Freedom of Information Act, the Open Meetings Act and the ethics legislation on the books. … Continue reading
The Lakewood Village packet distributed by Trustee Paul Serwatka reveals that the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office is holding a seminar to let elected officials know the state of the law for the Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, … Continue reading
As I pointed out earlier, First Electric Newspaper’s Pete Gonigam’s article of Judge Thomas Meyer’s ruling in his Freedom of Information Suit against Keith Nygren’s Sheriff’s Office is a must read. Gonigam is in line for a $5,000 check from … Continue reading
The Republican primary election for McHenry County Sheriff took place over a year ago, but a blatantly political act by former Sheriff Keith Nygren to protect his chosen successor, Undersheriff Andy Zinke, has resulted in Judge Thomas Meyer’s handing out … Continue reading
Earlier this month John Hammerand was denied the opportunity to participate by phone in a County Board meeting. Fellow member Ken Koehler asked whether Hammerand had handed in a note from his doctor, according to the Northwest Herald. Reading that, … Continue reading
The First Electric Newspaper’s Editor, Pete Gonigam, got half a loaf in response to this Freedom of Information request and suit yesterday. Gonigam sought a report prepared by Donald Leist about an “investigation clearing former Undersheriff Andy Zinke of violating … Continue reading
From State Senator Pam Althoff: In response to recent e-mails and phone calls I have received regarding my yes vote on House Bill 3796, I would like to explain why this legislation, will in fact, increase access to public records … Continue reading
Because the sound system is so bad, I can’t be sure what was said in the courtroom of Thomas Meyer Thursday morning. But I think he ruled that the Sheriff’s Office had waived its right to use an excuse in … Continue reading
When the neighbor across the way from the castle in Fox River Grove got irritated by people parking on the street, she turned to a neighbor from Boone County’s Candlewick Lake subdivision for help. The neighbor jotted down the license … Continue reading
Governments like to keep secrets. It’s an attribute ingrained in the beast. Even outsiders elected to office vowing transparency get pushed in the direction of keeping information from the public. The local governments have gotten together and convinced our state … Continue reading
At the request of Deputy County Administrator John Labjai (now retired), McHenry County Auditor Pam Palmer performed an audit on Nunda Township’s senior bus program. It was financed with a grant administered by McHenry County. Federal and state money was … Continue reading
Shortly before the officials of Oakwood Hills decided to shut down the village, I filed a Freedom of Information request. The Village’s Freedom of Information Officer has been quite good at relying to my requests, but, fearing that the office … Continue reading
Pursuant to the untimely reply to my August 2nd Freedom of Information request for any documentation of threats to the Village of Oakwood Hills, the Public Access Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General has requested an explanation why a reply … Continue reading
