Newly-elected McHenry County Board Chairman Joe Gottemoller has a chance to build a coalition for an at-large race for County Board in the fall of 2016, but he decided to please his current supporters instead. (See “Joe Gottemoller’s Quandary.”)

Gottemoller decided to follow the Tina Hill example in selecting committees for members.

Like Hill, he rewarded those who supported him and punished those who didn’t.

Maybe that’s too strong.  He like Hill did not completely punish his opponents.

Hill appointed Gottemoller, who ran for Chairman against both her and Ersel Schuster, chairman of the Planning and Development Committee. In addition, she was named vice chairman of Transportation.  (Hill named Schuster Vice Chairman of P&D and left her on Management Services, which she had previously chaired.)

But wait, Gottemoller appointed Hill to the post she had before becoming County Board Chairwoman, head of the Management Services Committee.

He also appointed Jim Heisler, who was his opponent this time around chairman of the Building Projects Committee, a committee that did not meet the last two years. Heisler also was named vice chairman of the Finance Committee.

None of the other supporters of Heisler scored a committee leadership slot.

Those who supported Gottemoller gathered at the Administrative Building today for a Committee on Committees meeting.

One observer suggested that its members were negotiating for themselves.

Earlier this week, committee chairmen were selected. (See “County Board Committee Chairmen Picked.”)

All members of the Committee on Committees were selected to chair a committee.

At the beginning of Friday’s meeting Gottemoller handed out the recommendations you see below:

Some may wish to compare the recommendations to the requests, which are below:

Of the three officers of the McHenry County Republican Party, newcomer Chuck Wheeler did best.  (In comparing requests with assignments, where the request was granted, I’ll put the name of the committee in boldface type.)

The Central Committee Treasurer was named to the Finance Committee, the Public Health Committee and the Natural & Environmental Resources Committee (NERC).  Wheeler had not requested Finance or NERC.  He asked for Human Resources, Law & Justice, Public Health and Transportation.  So, Wheeler got one of his preferences.

A statement from Gottemoller that seniority would play a role in committee assignments.

The only one of the three GOP officers who had previous service on the Board, Secretary Diane Evertsen, requested Human Resources, Management Services and Transportation.  She got two out of three–Human Resources and Transportation–ending up on Liquor & License, despite her preference for Management Services.  Fellow District 6 Board member Michele Aavang, who did not request Management Services, got the appointment instead.  Evertsen got two of her choices.

Party Vice Chairman Andrew Gasser requested Finance, Planning & Development and Transportation.  He was put on Law & Justice, Liquor & License and Planning & Development.  Gasser was given one of his favorites.

Others not previously mentioned who were not in Gottemoller’s winning

coalition were

• Yvonne Barnes
• John Hammerand
• Donna Kurtz
• Mike Walkup

Barnes was named Vice Chairman of the County Board without opposition.  She asked for Finance and Legislative and was assigned to Finance and Legislative.

Hammerand requested Finance, Building Projects, Liquor & License, Transportation.  He got Building Projects, Liquor & License and Transportation.  Hammerand has sixteen years of experience serving on the Finance Committee.  In effect, he was the committee’s memory.

Seniority apparently was not taken into account. Two members were appointed from District 6, including newcomer Larry Smith, who wrote he would serve “where needed,” and outgoing Chairman Mary McCann.  Smith and McCann voted for Gottemoller.

Donna Kurtz was rewarded for voting for Tina Hill in 2012 by being appointed Chairman of the Public Health Committee and assignment to the Finance and Management Services Committees. Kurtz asked for Finance, Planning & Development, Public Health, Transportation.  She ended up on Human Resources, Legislative and Public Health.

Mike Walkup requested to be placed on  Law & Justice, Planning & Development and Public Health. He ended up on Law & Justice, Management Services, NERC, where he served last term, and Planning & Development.  That’s one out of three for the man who released a statement of why he was not voting for his fellow District 3 Board member.  (See “Walkup Announces Support for Heisler for County Board Chairman.”)

A future article will relate what the supporters of Joe Gottemoller’s County Board Chairman candidacy won.