County Board IMRF Law Reverberates Around the State

The new state statute authored by State Rep. Jack Franks as part of his campaign for McHenry County Board Chairman is making waves across Illinois. I’ve noticed stories in two counties so far: Madison County, near St. Louis Will County … Continue reading

IMRF Probe of McHenry County Board Members Fizzles

Tuesday night at his Town Hall Meeting in Algonquin, Democratic Party McHenry County Board Chairman candidate Jack Franks spoke harshly about McHenry County Board members taking pensions “for part-time work.” He told of the Governor’s signing of his bill to … Continue reading

Althoff-Franks Law Ends Pension Benefits for Future County Board Members

A press release from State Senator Pam Althoff: New law ends pensions for future county board members Springfield, IL… Future county board members will no longer be eligible for pension benefits, and those currently enrolled in the retirement system are … Continue reading

NWH Reader Wonders What Happened with IMRF Probe of McHenry County Board Pensions

The following letter to the editor of the Northwest Herald is reprinted with permission of its author, Cary resident Rachael Lawrence: In February, Jack Franks and IMRF Director Louis Kosiba met with the Northwest Herald regarding County Board members meeting the … Continue reading

Jack Franks’ $2 Million Pension

In two years, when Jack Franks turns 55, he can start receiving his pension from the State of Illinois. He stands to collect $2.3 million. As of June 30, 2016, he contributed about $139,000. The taxpayers will foot the bill … Continue reading

Management Services Committee Considering IMRF Pullout for County Board Members

The second committee to weigh in on whether McHenry County Board members should stop participating in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension program will meet Monday at 8:15. It’s the Management Services Committee, chaired by Tina Hill. The first was … Continue reading

Committee Unanimously Approves End to County Board IMRF Pensions

Every member of the Human Resources Committee voted to abolish Illinois Municipal Retirement Pensions for County Board members starting in December. Outside the meeting members expressed the opinion that this will make the IMRF requirement for work logs go away. … Continue reading

Franks IMRF Language Leaves Open IMRF Pension for McHenry County Board Chairman

State Senator Pam Althoff’s Senate Bill 2701, as amended by State Rep. Jack Franks in the Illinois House, leaves open the possibility that the next McHenry County Board Chairman, whether it is Franks or Mike Walkup, is eligible to participate … Continue reading

Althoff Passes Bill Forbidding New County Board Members Pensions

State Senator Pam Althoff passed her IMRF reform legislation, Senate Bill 2701, as it was amended by House sponsor State Rep. Jack Franks. No one opposed the legislation, which says future Downstate County Board members will not be allowed to … Continue reading

Franks’ IMRF Bill Passes without Dissent, Members Elected This Fall Ineligible for Pensions

State Rep. Jack Franks has won his legislative battle about IMRF pensions. Senate Bill 2701 with his abolition language passed 110-0 Sunday. It is now in the State Senate waiting for approval of House amendments. Because the McHenry County Board … Continue reading

Cartoon Gives Hint of IMRF Political Attack Potential

Last weekend our family was in Springfield attending the Old Capitol Art Fair. A local weekly called the Illinois Times is distributed for free throughout the area. What did I find inside but a cartoon aimed at Springfield Aldermen and … Continue reading

Jack Franks Still Running for State Rep. – Part 8

Maybe my headline should be Franks Labels County Board IMRF Pension Participation a “Scandal” Certainly, Jack Franks will be filling mailboxes with that message and how he cleaned it up. But, since the title of the op-ed piece in Wednesday … Continue reading

Franks Gets County Board IMRF Abolition Bill to House Floor

State Senator Pam Althoff passed Senate Bill 2701 requiring county board members participating in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund to keep logs of the hours spent working on county business. In the case of McHenry County Board members, the number … Continue reading

County Board Moves to Preempt Jack Franks on Pension Issue by Pulling Out of IMRF

Appearing today on the agenda of the Human Resources Committee is a resolution to take McHenry County Board members out of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. State Rep. Jack Franks, in his run-up to a candidacy to take over the … Continue reading

Democrat Predicts Jack Franks Can Win Both County Board and State Rep. Races

A comment from “Inish” worth sharing from under the article entitled, McHenry County Board Outmaneuvered by Nimble Jack Franks Again stimulated the following comment: Rested like a arrow in a quiver by no one’s fault but their own. The County … Continue reading

McHenry County Board Outmaneuvered by Nimble Jack Franks Again

Democratic Party Jack Franks has a great sense of timing. And, as I have told many folks, timing is pretty much everything in politics. Franks pushed for an elected County Executive and ended up with an elected County Board Chairman. … Continue reading

Gasser Urges Franks to Renouce $58,600 Pension

Turnabout, apparently, is fair play. During member comments at Tuesday night’s McHenry County Board member Andrew Gasser praised GOP County Board Chairman candidate Mike Walkup’s call for an end to pensions for County Board members. Gasser is one of the … Continue reading

Jack Franks Kicks Up “Hornet’s Nest”

Rich Miller of Capitol Fax has a story about Saturday’s State Journal-Register story about Jack Frank’s effort to damage McHenry County Board members by stimulating a Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund investigation of whether they qualify. “As we’ve discussed before, Rep. … Continue reading