At the August 20th meeting of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, former County Board member Lyn Orphal brought up two interesting topics in the Public Comment period.
She said that communications between the Mental Health Board and one or more agencies had been recorded. I filed a Freedom of Information request asking for electronic copies on the spot and expect a reply in the near future.
The second topic was tuition payments Orphal said were made to finance the earning of a doctorate degree by Executive Director Sandy Lewis, whose resignation was accepted that night.
Now comes in mail an accounting of the money spent by the Mental Health Board in 2010, 2011 and 2012 at Aurora University for “Administration.”
Whether or not it is for Lewis I don’t know. She lists an Ed.D from George Williams College.
$20,400 was paid to Aurora University by the McHenry County Mental Health Board.
Taxpayers should not pay tuition payments for any government employee including teachers.
Many taxpayers can’t afford college tuition for their own children much less a government employee.
Is the McHenry County Mental Health Board elected or appointed?
And who provided the transparency, a current Board member? No.
A former board member.
And if Cal wasn’t at the meeting how would we know?
Now here’s what First Electric Newspaper reported on August 18th, 2012.
“Late Thursday the Mental Health Board notified client agencies that Executive Director Sandy Lewis had resigned, effective Nov. 12 to take a position at Commonwealth University in Virginia.”
http://www.firstelectricnewspaper.com/2012_08_12_archive.html
So did Sandy Lewis’ taxpayer funded education help her land the Commonwealth University of Virginia job?
And there’s more. From the same First Electric article.
“Complicating MHB’s problems, however Ellis said the $11 million per year Board is up against its tax rate limit. ‘We’re not going to have as much money as last year,’ said Ellis. ‘We’re going to be short.'”
Short money but yet enough money for tuition payments for staff members?
The Mental Health Board members are appointed by the McHenry County Board.