Maybe I’m sensitive about the question because I was McHenry County Treasurer as a child way back from 1966 to 1970.
As you might guess, the question is arising in Grafton Township as the four trustees try to garner the power that Trustee Gerry McMahon keeps insisting belongs to the majority, of which he is a member.
By now, the four trustees have probably passed a resolution giving Trustees Betty Zirk and Robert LaPorta signature authority on township checks. ( I was at the Crystal Lake Kiwanis Club’s Christmas Party tonight.)
At the last meeting and in his management letter, the auditor had pointed out that requiring two signatures was a good check and balance to implement.
So far, so good.
But the resolution being considered tonight says that if Supervisor Linda Moore, who, by statute, is the treasurer of all Grafton Township funds, doesn’t sign them within seven days of approval, the two township trustees can.
Setting aside that Moore is the one with the bond that would repay the township if anyone made off with some money, that procedure could take away the supervisor’s authority as treasurer.
It would be like the McHenry County Board’s proposing that two board members be given the keys to the county treasury, just in case Treasurer Bill LeFew didn’t want to do the job.
I’m certainly no attorney, but the section in the resolution stating that if any part of the resolution is found invalid, the rest remains valid seems to be more than boilerplate.
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The photo of the Grafton Township Board comes from last week’s meeting.
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