The last article on McHenry County Board Committee assignments by newly-elected Chairman Joe Gottemoller focused on what those who supported his opponent Jim Heisler ended up.
Joe Gottemoller
This will look at how the winners were rewarded. Again requests that were granted will be put in bold face type.
Comparing Michele Aavang’s choices–Law & Justice, Legislative, Natural & Environmental Resources, Planing & Development–with her assignments–Building Projects, Law & Justice, Management Services and NERC–shows she got half of her choices. Aavang was named Chairman of NERC.
Here are the requests for committee assignments made by McHenry County Board members.
Sue Draffkorn
Sue Draffkorn requested Human Resources, Law & Justice, Liquor & License, Planning & Development.
Ken Koehler
She was made Chairman of Law & Justice, Vice Chairman of Human Resources and put on Planning & Development.
Former Board Chairman Ken Koehler remains as Chairman of Liquor & License. He requested to be on Law & Justice, Liquor & License, Transportation. He was also made Vice Chairman of Law & Justice. He was also put on the Transportation Committee, so he went three for three.
Committee membership recommendations with four changes made during the Committee on Committees meeting.
John Jung, Chairman of the Legislative and Audit Committee.
John Jung wanted to be on Human Resources, Law & Justice, Legislative. He was named Chairman of Human Resources, plus was named to Law & Justice and Legislative.
Don Kopsell
Jung also got all of his preferences.
Freshman Don Kopsell asked for Law & Justice, Liquor & License, Transportation. He was put on Human Resources, Liquor & License, Public Health and Transportation.
Bob Martens
Second-termer Bob Martens wanted to be on Building Projects, Legislative and Natural & Environmental Resources. Martens was slotted for the Vice Chairmanship of Building Projects, Legislative and NERC, scoring three for three. As a bonus he was put on Management Services.
Mary McCann
Mary McCann requested Finance, Management Services, Natural & Environmental Resources and Public Health. She got Finance, Vice Chairman of Planning & Development and Chairman of Public Health.
Anna Miller
Anna May Miller had three requests: Law & Justice, Public Health and Transportation. She remained as Chairman of Transportation and got her wish to be on Law & Justice and Public Health, where she will be Vice Chairman. She also will serve on Management Services.
Bob Nowak wanted to be on Human Resources, Legislative, Liquor & License and Natural & Environmental Resources. He was appointed to Building Projects, Liquor & License and NERC.
Nick Provenzano
Nick Provenzano asked for four committees: Finance, Law & Justice, Legislative and Transportation. He was placed on Building Projects, Finance and Transportation.
Michael Rein
Newcomer Michael Rein put in for Human Resources, Legislative, Natural & Environmental Resources and Public Health. He was awarded Human Resources, Liquor & License, NERC and Public Health.
Carolyn Schofield
Carolyn Schofield, a 2012 supporter of Gottemoller aske for Human Resources, Legislative, Natural & Environmental Resources and Planning & Development. She was named Chairman of P & D, as well as put on Legislative and NERC.
Mike Skala
Mike Skala, who led the putsch against Tine Hill and supported Gotemoller in 2012, was rewarded with the Chairmanship of the Finance Committee, was made Vice Chairman of Management Services and put on Planning & Development. He got all three of his choices.
Larry Smith
First-termer Larry Smith offered no preferences. He wrote that he would serve “where needed.” His support of Gottemoller was rewarded with four committees: Finance, Legislative and Planning & Development and Public Health.
I’d hoped for something better from Joe.
Extremely disappointing.
Cut County Board to 7 or 13, reduce number of committees, put 3-5 members on committees and save lots of money!
That’s not going to save any money Jim. The remaining members will now have full time jobs and will demand pay to match.
Plus if you have smaller committees, now all portions of the county will not be represented on each committee.
We spent several meetings on the special committee last Summer going all through this.
What we need to do now is eliminate the spoils system for appointments to the various committees in anticipation of having a Board Chair elected at large.
I have suggested that we have the 4 members who have been elected from each district send one of their number to the Committee on Committees and give that Committee actual authority.
Right now it is just advisory.
The Chairman can pick everything regardless of what the Committee thinks, plus the Chair is able to unilaterally hand pick the members of that committee.
The new Chair in his first address to the Board also said he wants to cut out all of the fool questions that get asked by Members on the Board floor and defer to some kind of “fact finding process” that is supposed to occur at the committee level.
This would enhance the importance of the committees even further.
Taking his cue from Obama.
He will be king!!