Looks like a knock down, drag out fight in Johnsburg. I don’t follow local politics, but it is a sight to behold from afar.
Incumbent Village President Ed Hettermann is being challenged by Maggie Haney.
One of Hettermann’s supporters sent images of his signs:
Ed Hettermann’s sign promoting his campaign for re-election.
On the other side, his favored candidates for Village Trustee are touted:
Johnsburg Village President Ed Hettermann is supporting Klemstin, McEvoy and Huemann.
He also sent this photo of a Haney weekend handout under the flag of a mailbox:
A Maggie Haney newsletter passed out this past weekend.
Accompanying the photo was the following:
“Maggie Haney and Trustee Ron Zanko break Federal and Postal law by placing flyers on the mailboxes with no postage.
“This will be the second offense for Ron, since he also did this in 2009. Trustee Zanko should know better with being the… leader and chairperson for the Ordinance Committee.
“Please contact the Postmaster in McHenry at (815) 385-2108 to report this abuse if you received a flyer on your mailbox without a stamp.”
I can relate to this because in 1966 when I was running in a three-way primary for McHenry County Treasurer, I put my mimeographed literature in mailboxes in Wonder Lake.
Imagine my surprise when I got a bill from the Post Office. Besides having to pay it, I had no clue which houses now had not gotten my campaign piece.
Here’s Haney’s reaction to the mailbox criticism:
Maggie Haney
“I find it almost comical that the current administration is concerned about putting a flyer in a newspaper box or behind a flag.”Why don’t you ask Mr. Hettermann and his Village Clerk about denying me the right to be put in a lottery for the position on the ballot?
“Why did the Village Attorney have to contact the State Board of Elections?
“If I did something wrong I was not aware of it.
“It was my understanding that nothing could be put IN the mailbox.
“I receive literature all the time this way.
“Once again the Village picks and chooses which laws they abide.
“They don’t follow State Board of Election Laws, Open Meetings Acts, Illinois State Constitution, Freedom of Information or Citizens Participation Act.
“Give me a break!!
“Ask Trustee Ron Zanko and Trustee Rich Janusz what they have done to our signs during the night last night.
“How about trespassing on private property and petty theft.
“How about the Village President and Administrator signing checks without Board Approval.
“That is why Mr. Hettermann would not show up to the NWHerald Endorsement Interview and ‘Nixed’ a debate. The people deserve to know what is really going on in Johnsburg.
“Only the Blogs are telling the truth. The Northwest Herald would not print my last Press Release.”
I followed up on the invitation to ask Trustee Zanko about his yard signs and got this reply:
“When I left for work this morning, I noticed eight various campaign signs for Maggie, Mary Mahady and myself missing from my front yard and my neighbor across the street.
“In my yard, there was a Hettermann sign installed in their place.
“Since then, I have been informed by other residents of signs being missing on private properties and along roadways.
“I contacted Hettermann by e-mail and he disavows all knowledge. Attached is that e-mail.”
Ed Hettermann’s reply is below:
“I have no knowledge of anyone moving or stealing signs.”
I reached out for a copy of the newsletter and you can see it below:
One side of the newsletter distributed by Maggie Haney and Ron Zanko. Note at the bottom is the advice to vote against the tax hike referendum. That might induce more people to vote than otherwise would.
It wasn’t just a Hettermann supporter calling out his opponent.
I got the following opinion piece from Charlene Bliss-Beyer, a supporter of Hane,y which doesn’t speak kindly of Hettermann:
MISTER HETTERMANN’S NEIGHBORHOOD
Friday, April 5th residents in Johnsburg received a Political Campaign piece from the Johnsburg First group headed by incumbent President Ed Hettermann.
It reminded me of a twisted version of the kids show aired on PBS called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that if played out in his favor on Election Day will have a devastating outcome for all Johnsburg residents.
When citizens exercise their Constitutional Rights to participate in the election process and face
- retaliation,
- threats, and
- thuggery
to deter the Liberty to support, express and eventually vote for certain candidates every Citizen must remain vigilant.
In Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood that scenario is being played out.
In the little town of Johnsburg there is a wonderful history of lineages from certain families which adds to the character of this wonderfultown.
When a sense of entitlement appears and the “neighborly” history dictates that anyone outside of that specific group is a target for retaliation, threats and thuggery to maintain political control I believe that that Neighborhood must be stopped.
Elections normally comprise of
- debates,
- issues,
- platforms,
- literature, and then
- getting out the vote.
This campaign in Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood has not followed that normal path.
I believe that path was avoided because of Grand Jury Subpoena(s) and an ACTIVE and ONGOING Criminal Investigation.
The laws in the State of Illinois as they relate to taxing bodies are not discretional, optional, selective or arbitrary.
They are mandates to protect the assets on behalf of all of the citizens.
Equally, the laws do not allow for Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood to be exempt from the laws.
Segregation of Duties is not complicated but mandatory.
Years and years of accounting in Mister Hettermann’s Neighborly Administration ignored that law and one person
- collected,
- expended, and
- reported
all the funds.
This concept clearly outlined in Generally Accepted Accounting Standards not only was ignored, but the signer of the reports tendered on behalf of Mister Hettermann signed as a TREASURER when there was NO TREASURER in the Village of Johnsburg.
By the way, the “Treasurer wan bee” was the same person who had complete control of all of the money.
The mandate of Segregation of Duties for taxing bodies is to prevent fraud while protecting the assets.
To make it simple, think of an egg, it is one object, but it has 3 parts, the shell, the yolk, and the white.
Segregation of duties is the same!
When a taxing body is operating following the laws then at minimum 2 people have to be authorized to handle the money.
In the Village of Johnsburg, Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood, for years and years this law was ignored placing serious risk to taxpayer money.
Mister Hettermann has EGG all over his face on this one.
When Mister Hettermann’s Neighborly Administration received FOIA requests with a theme of identifying the Segregation of Duties and Laws in the State of Illinois as they relate to municipal financing, reporting, and Public Documents, he did not like that uncomfortable realization.
Who would?
In his “Neighborly” world everything was fine, just like Mister Rogers neighborhood.
When the nightmare story unfolded in Dixon Illinois, questions were asked as to how millions of dollars had been stolen and nobody knew.
The answer is they had a similar Neighborly Administration.
Everyone knew the criminal who stole millions of dollars for years.
Knowing someone is one thing, allowing laws to be ignored as they relate to money is inexcusable.
The person who exposes the problem is not the problem.
If a taxing body, its elected officials and appointed officials have the privilege to serve the citizens of that taxing body, they
have an obligation to follow every law, every procedure as they relate to the money entrusted to them.
Fiduciary Responsibility and Fiscal Responsibility are not subject to Neighborly exemptions.
The State and Local Records Act identifies that every public document held within a taxing body are PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITIZENS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
The guardianship of those documents is only given to the elected officials for the term of their office.
Again, Mister Hettermann’s Neighborly Administration continues to struggle with releasing documents to not only the citizens but “certain” elected officials who are not part of his “Neighborhood”.
Poor record keeping confirmed by the Secretary of State’s Office appeared through the Citizen Investigation initiated by Maggie Haney.
Likewise, serious financial discrepancies also appeared through the Citizen Investigation initiated by Maggie Haney.
Confirming those is the GRAND JURY SUBPOENA(S) and the CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
Obviously she is not a part of Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood so she not only is an outsider but she has now become an agitator.
Mister Hettermann’s Neighborhood even goes so far as to defame, lie, misrepresent his opponent and uses the Village of Johnsburg taxpayer website for email distribution, press releases and “reports” to continue the “Neighborly” business of Johnsburg.
Abuse of power in the name of a “Neighborly” atmosphere is unacceptable and must be stopped.
In this Political Piece that the residents of Johnsburg received Mister Hettermann is so bold to even put the Village of Johnsburg’s website on to further the abuse of power in his “Neighborly” Administration.
Here is the address side of Johnsburg Village President Ed Hettermann’s Friday mailing.
Johnsburg residents who fought so valiantly against the SSA project are now struggling financially with forced connection fees (In the thousands) as well as extra taxes.
Their “Neighborhood” is now also outside of the Hettermann Neighborly Administration because they dared to fight. Every Neighbor in Johnsburg should stand together with these neighbors and cry foul.
When Haney finally found Hettermann’s mandated Annual Treasurer Report(s) in the Newspaper (you know the one signed by the Treasurer from the VOJ who had no Treasurer, who had SOLE control of all the money) she was shocked to find that Hettermann’s Neighborly Administration had conveniently BORROWED 2 MILLION DOLLARS from the Water/Sewer Fund which is a restricted fund.
Do you think that borrowing money from a restricted fund is “Neighborly”? But you see when you are outside of Hettermann’s Neighborhood what is rightdoesn’t matter.
On Tuesday April 9th every voter in Johnsburg has a choice, to re-elect Mister Hettermann and his “Neighborly” Administration who are under a CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION who takes care of his little group of “Neighbors” or they can take a stand and elect an “Outsider” who truly is their “Neighbor” the one who dared to ask to see the proof of the Village of Johnsburg’s compliance with Illinois Laws.
I am a citizen in the State of Illinois, a former Mayor, a former Oath Keeper, who served my residents by following all of the laws protecting all of the assets while upholding the Constitution for all of the residents.
I am the sister of Maggie Haney and I support her for President of Johnsburg because I know that she too will take serious her Oath of Office.
I have seen her sacrifice and commitment to all of the Johnsburg residents in spite of the retaliation, defamation and lies and she will end this “Neighborly” Administration of abuse.
Is Mister Hettermann’s “Neighborly” Administration any different than the Dixon “Neighborly” Administration?
Charlene Bliss-Beyer
= = = = = =
One of Hettermanns’ supporters has sent the following letter when the Village accountant distributed after learning of Haney’s newsletter:
This was written and distributed by Johnsburg’s accountant Laurie Cwerenz, a CPA.
Sounds like Hettermann and company got little traction from their mailer as I hear the anti SSA group has awakened and they are not happy campers.
Another miscalculated strategy by ex Trustee Bennett and soon to be Hutchinson.
Hettermann and company can steal the signs but, let’s hope they can’t steal the vote.
But anything is possible in Mr. Hettermann’s Neighborhood.
Once again, it’s the burgers vs “those people”.
Back up the manure wagon.
It’s time to remove what smells in Johnsbug and it’s not the river.
Hetterman’s mailer states that Zanko and Haney have cost the village a huge amount of money.
My question is, why would the village spend that much money on attorney’s fees in an effort to hide their records if they were being honest with taxpayers about the village’s financial dealings?
Something stinks in the village administration, and the stench is all too familiar in and around Chicago.
It smells like corruption to me.
I’m confused, Charlene? Are you running for VOJ president or is Maggie?
You seemed to have so much knowledge of “alleged corruption” and “thuggery” that maybe you should run!
You are a former mayor?
I take it you time passed in Round Lake?
I read the police reports and heard nothing about “threats” or “Thuggery” – Has anyone in the VOJ threatened you or your sister?
After I listened to the Village Of Johnsburg meeting audio it seemed like everyone was pretty patient.
Have you listened?
It seems to me our Village accountant was more than willing to assist Mrs.Haney.
She wanted to grandstand and it came off unprofessional.
Thank goodness she didn’t have anything to do with Wal-Mart or JC Penny we need professionals not personal vendettas!
Taxes are pretty good here in Johnsburg Charlene, you can always move here and show us how it’s done. Standard & Poors likes what is going on but what would they know?
Thank goodness this will be over tomorrow so we can get back to growing our village, not worrying about a piece of land.
Mr. Avres must be living in a bubble or he hasn’t ventured beyond the Johnsburg Village limits for years.
There is a whole new world out there and it’s all happening in the surrounding municipalities.
He speaks of Wallmart and JC Penny.
Johnsburg didn’t lure them.
They picked Johnsburg for the tax incentives.
Ask Mr. Huemann, the economic development guru, how numerous restaurant opportunities have managed to slip away on his 18+ year watch.
Ask about the Japanese restaurant that was going into the Penny’s plaza and abra cadabra ended up in the McHenry Kohl’s plaza.
But to his credit, the Village got another one of his doomed to fail trinket businesses on his beloved triangle.
And taxes are pretty good here in Johnsburg?
In case you missed the posting, McHenry is 29th in the country for having the highest taxes in the nation.
Not a distinction that anyone would want to lay claim to.
Re-elect Hettermann and company and the only growth you’ll see will be the weeds in your lawn.
I see the Village accountant now provides a scathing posting on the Johnsburg First website.
Who would have the most to loose if it were determined that there was financial wrong doings occuring in the Village.
Looking more and more like a CYA maneuver to divert attention.
I’m betting Hutchinson had a hand in the posting and maybe even Peters as they are collectively the financial jugglers for the Village.
But let us not forget that the Village is still under investigation by the Illinois State Police.
I’m betting the trio might be hearing foot steps at this point and it isn’t the Tooth Fairy paying a visit.
Could it be that Ms. Cwerenz has more skin in the game than just maintaining her position as the Village accountant?
Or, is she just another poor misguided follower of the Hutchinson spin machine that mandates the spread of toxic misinformation.
Haney Avres:
Question for you:
Who has control of the VOJ meetings?
Is it President Hetterman (soon to be President Haney) or is it Trustee Hutchinson?
Every meeting I have attended, she IS the one that calls the shots and I am pretty sure she doesn’t have more authority than any of the other trustees or more autority than the VOJ President even though she thinks she does.
The corruption will end tonight with a victory for Haney and Zanko, thank heavens.
So all this continued PETTY and CORRUPTION will end, and you can stop badgering Mrs. Haney and her sister Charlene.
OK Fast Eddie the day of reckoning has arrived.
Just think when you lose at least the good side is you may avoid the State Police investigation.
Then again, maybe not.
If you win, just remember they will be back.
You had the opportunity to do the right thing when elected 4 years ago and you decided to take the low road and become a typical politician who can’t be trusted.
Still alot of questions out there Eddie and still no answers.
Laurie Cwerenz
You made a very true statement in your letter about how desperate people do desperate things.
However, your acquisitions’ should be directed toward yourself, Ms. Hutchinson, and Ed.
The three of you along with Ms. Peters continue to cover up the lies and you have the gull to try to pin it on Mrs. Haney.
You might not remember me, I was there on March 6th and sat behind you and you did NOT answer all of Mrs. Haney’s questions however your desperate actions are going to catch up with you.
Watch out for the KARMA, but you know all about that with all of your professional background and credentials that you mentioned the evening of the 6th of March.
Wow….. Charlene In four years, your next…..
Maybe if Mrs. Haney really cared about our community she would be interested in being part of one of the many committees in the village or not for profits in the area? Lions are looking for people? PTO? Moose? Nights of Columbus? Wait!
Mrs.Haney had ONE interest – vendetta! No concerns, no agenda, no votes!
Head to Florida and retire, for someone that cared about “the community” no one can recall anytime you have done anything.
So reading your flyer you freely admitted you lost your lawsuit with the VOJ on the property so what’s next?
You said, you “loved” the community but I get the feeling you would rather spend MY tax dollars annoying the village than actually doing something to make improvements,.
Show me how you, personally. would do something to improve our way of life in the community?
I see a lot of Ron Zanko signs left laying around.
You could start by picking up the trash here in the village. Start with those!
If Haney’s whatever wants to see the trash picked up, wait for the State Police’s arrival at the Village Hall to pick up the toxic waste re-elected to office.
Truly a Kodak moment waiting to happen.