The McHenry Township Fire Protection District are appointed by the McHenry County Board.

Now a group of people have put up a web site to encourage people to pass petitions to get a referendum on the ballot have allow voters to elect the trustees.

Here’s the pitch on its home page:

Elect MTFPD Trustees!

Petitioning for the Election instead of Appointment of Trustees of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District

Currently the McHenry Township Fire Protection District Trustees are appointed by the McHenry County Board. While this system has worked great for years, times are changing.

The MTFPD is not the small fire district it once was.

With the MTFPD operating on an approximately 8 million dollar budget each year it is important that we the residents and voters of the fire district have the ability to help ensure that the MTFPD remains one of the best fire districts in the area.

By electing the trustee’s of the MTFPD we would be ensuring the accountability and transparency of the MTFPD Trustee Board.

Please help us ensure that the Trustee’s of the MTFPD remain accountable and transparent while serving the MTFPD.

Contact us at MTFPD.Petition@gmail.com if you would like to sign the petition or assist with this cause.

The water rescue vehicle of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District.

Organizers point out that the County Board’s appointing the trustees, while having “worked great in the past,” provides “no accountability or transparency.”

“We are acting on the proactive side to help ensure that the MTFPD remains a great fire district that provides a wonderful service to the communities it serves.”

Here are the reasons listed for elected Board members:

• Ensure fiscal responsibility of a board of trustees that balances an annual budget of approximately 8 million dollars

• To Provide direct representation of trustees that oversee the health and fire safety for 56 square miles and over 60,000 residents

• To provide transparency in local government during the harsh economic times

• To provide accountability to the tax payers and residents of the MTFPD
• To ensure that the MTFPD continues in the positive direction that it has been headed for the past 70 plus years.

If the petitioners are successful, the following question will be on the ballot at the primary election:

Should the McHenry Township Fire Protection District Trustees be Elected – Yes or No

Ten percent of the registered voters are required or about 4,000 names, according to organizers.

= = = = =
It seems likely that those pleased with the current selection system will scrutinize the petition signatures trying to get the number of legitimate signatures under the required number, so organizers should be planning to obtain significantly more signatures than the minimum required by law.