The $34 Million Addition Proposed for McHenry County College – Part 3

Over the last two days, I’ve presented parts 1 and 2 of bond analyst Steve Willson’s analysis of the $34 million so-called “Science Labs” project at MCC. In the final installment today, Willson shows how a plan to refurbish existing … Continue reading

The $34 Million Addition Proposed for McHenry County College – Part 2

Yesterday I ran Part 1 of bond analyst Steve Willson’s analysis of McHenry County College’s $34 million capital projects plan, in which he rebutted the evidence from the College’s consultant that enrollment at the College was likely to grow at … Continue reading

The Addition Proposed for McHenry County College – Part 1

The following analysis was performed by Lakewood bond analyst Steve Willson: MCC’s Not Really Science Labs Project In 2014, MCC decided to undertake a “space utilization” study. The original goal was to determine the most efficient way to use MCC’s … Continue reading

Tom Wilbeck Sends Second Mailing in County Board Election Campaign

District 1 McHenry County Board candidate Tom Wilbeck, a former reform member of the McHenry County College Board, send out his second post card this week. It ties him to MCC Board and former District 26 Grade School Board member … Continue reading

MCC Students To Pay $10 per Credit Hour for Addition, Approval Granted for $34 Million Project

By a unanimous vote, including Student Trustee Jeremy Sacrament, McHenry County College Trustees voted to impose a $10 per credit hour infrastructure fee starting this summer. One Trustee called it a “user fee.” Including the extra $10, the cost per … Continue reading

MCC Board Considering Allowing Students to Help Pay for New Construction

Thursday night, the McHenry County College Board will consider imposing a $10 per credit hour fee to force students to help pay for new and/or improved facilities. Here’s what the minutes of the Committee of the Whole meeting say about … Continue reading

MCC Construction Budget Has Contingency Fee Twice as High as Forensic Auditor Recommended

When forensic auditing firm Jefferson Wells auditor Mike Nowark made his report on his examination of new school construction at Huntley School District 158, he said that if contingencies were not over 5%, he didn’t think anything went wrong. Thursday … Continue reading

McHenry County College Selects Clint Gabbard as New President

A press release from McHenry County College: MCHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE BOARD SELECTS NEXT COLLEGE PRESIDENT [December 17, 2015.Crystal Lake, IL] The McHenry County College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the approval of an agreement with Dr. Clinton E. … Continue reading

Recommendation for MCC Tuition Hike, Infrastructure Fee Imposition to Finance Campus Improvements

Dr. Tony Miksa, McHenry County College’s Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs recommended a $5 per credit hour tuition hike, plus a new $10 infrastructure fee for next year’s students. Currently, students are charged $101 for tuition, plus a $9 … Continue reading

Thoughts on the McHenry County Board from Ersel Schuster

From former and candidate for McHenry County Board Ersel Schuster: Installment II – Department 12:      McHenry County Board: Funded By:                            General Fund (Attachment A) Mission Statement:            ”McHenry County Government is dedicated to providing the highest quality services for the health, … Continue reading

Articles You May Have Missed This Weekend

11-13-15 Tax Protest Suit against McHenry County, Harrison School, CL Grade & High School, plus Alg & McH Townships 11-13-15 County Inmates Get Outside Road Work, Training 11-14-15 Tax Protest Suit against Wonder Lake’s Harrison Grade School 11-15-15 CL District … Continue reading

MCC Board Members in Their Role as “Trustees”

Lakewood bond analyst and public policy commentator Steve Willson reflected on the McHenry County College Board’s upcoming decision of whether to increase or decrease taxes. (Board members can do either. (By taking all the money allowed under the Real Estate … Continue reading

Ron Parrish Denies Endorsing Tina Hill for Recorder, Prefers Joe Tirio

Last night I got a copy of the following email to MCC Trustee Karen Tirio from McHenry County College Board member Ron Parrish, who is also the immediate past President of the Village of Bull Valley: Just to set the … Continue reading