Jack Franks
This afternoon brought a pleasant surprise.
It was a phone call from State Rep. Jack Franks.
First time he’s talked to me since he called to criticize me in 2006 for trying to find a Republican to run against him when McHenry County GOP Chairman Bill LeFew didn’t.
Then, after he was finished venting (I have learned since such is not an exceptional reaction to his being displeased with what someone does), I told him I thought every public official should have an opponent when running for re-election.
That didn’t seem to mollify him.
So, I have to admit to being surprised to hearing his pleasant voice on my phone again.
He was reminding people that early voting starts Monday and he was asking me to vote in favor of his referendum to concentrate power in county government. (No, he didn’t use the description this former State and Local Government lecturer uses to describe his proposal.)
Franks claimed his County Executive proposal would lead to more accountability, more transparency and lower property taxes.
He didn’t offer to put up the family fortune to reimburse folks, if his tax characterization turned out to be incorrect, but he did ask people to call him at home, if they had questions about the issue.
Of course, opponents would have no chance for the type of rebuttals that former six-year County Board Chairman Mike Tryon gave Wednesday.
But, if you want to call. the number given was 815-923-4455 (but he didn’t repeat it twice to make it easy to jot it down, so maybe he doesn’t really want you to call).
Why is it you don’t seem quite so worked up about Pam Althoff not having an opponent?
Or Tryon? Or Wheeler? Or 90% of the races in the county?
I’ll give him a call after he sees people watching his horrible debate performance and learning all the fallcies he stated.
Gotta let him know his career and fake facade of reassuring the public is over. Someone’s gotta do it. 🙂
Screamin’ Chainsaw Jack must have his phone of the “hook” ’cause all I got was
a “busy” signal.
Still waiting for a return call from last March.
Not holding by breath
Chainsaw Jack …..probably busy filling the chainsaws up with gas.
Who would want to call the Devil’s Advocate anyway.
The whole “lower property taxes” argument is pretty lame.
Using Will County as your only example screams low sample size, never mind that Will County is and has been famous for its own, er, idiosyncrasies.
I assume the reference is exclusively to the county component of the overall rate, which is relatively small.
Will County has a much larger industrial base than McHenry, suggesting they began the reign of their county executive with a lower county rate.
What has happened to their county collections/rates since, compared to McHenry County over the same period?
Did Franks present any substance to his assertion?
Good Morning Y’all,
We have had 10 years of unchecked property tax increases amounting to a surplus in McHenry County government of close to $47 million dollars.
We have seen the County Board members increase their salaries 3 times this and last session, give themselves healthcare plans and also pensions despite the fact they do not have to attend more than 8 mandatory meetings a month – and that’s if they show up.
What other less than part time job do you know allows for these benefits?
Lake County, which is cutting their board down to 22 members next session, has single representative districts for about 780,000 people and somehow the McHenry County Board, who represent less than half that, seem to think that a big board government is the anwer.
Here is my question, why is it that, despite having a surplus, our county board has consistently asked for more?
Why is it that despite wages dropping nation, state, and county wide did they ask for three raises?
Why is it that the County Executive government style, which is an untried government style in Illinois minus Will County, is such a heated referendum?
Look at the Facts: The Chairman, Vice Chair, assistant County administrator and county administrators salaries and benefits amount to a cost to tax payers of nearly a half a million dollars a year.
There will be a CUT in government positions (something I think conservatives tend to like) if you institute a county executive. Tryon himself said on his No County Czar website he, Koehler and a few other notable McHenry County Repulicans, that a County executive government will cost $300,000 more a year for the county.
Fine, cut the board in HALF by going to double representative districts saving about $250,000 (not even including benefits) a year in salaries, add that to the Admin, assistant admin, vice chair and chairman and you have a cost savings of more than a million dollars a year.
This can ONLY happen with a county executive though because as we have seen in the past, the board is unable to allow the people of McHenry County the opportunity to elect their chair, check their constant pay increases and tax increases.
If Tryon’s argument is about what is going to happen (and last time I checked, he didn’t have a crystal political ball) why is mine any less relevent?
Cheers!
Joe and Reality Check …. nailed it! (spoken in the melodic voice of a homosexual).
The Bill Clow referred to on the list of patronage applicants that Jack Franks was trying to get jobs for.
Is this the same Bill Clow, Now working for the Harvard School District?
the Harvard school who claimed the had no funds to pay Teachers then came up with funding to give a Bill Clow a high paying job as a Public Relations Spokesperson.
and if it is indeed the same person I then wonder if Jack franks had anything to do with it