Election night the Woodstock City Council had Governor Bruce Rauner’s “Turn Around” proposals.

Here’s what the agenda said:

(I could not find a board packet which would have contained the resolution.)

There were so many people in the audience that Mayor Brian Sager moved the meeting from the City Council Chambers to the Woodstock High School up the street.

My source estimates that 300 people attended the meeting.

Composed of Operating Engineers, teacher union members and others, all were allowed to speak.

The meeting went on until midnight.

The comments were generally civil until one man said,

“I would advise you to vote this down, send it back to the Governor and tell him to shove it up his ass.”

Sager announced that the Governor would be in Woodstock at the Opera House the next morning and that it would be a public meeting.

That was on the Governor’s schedule, but not announced to the public, unless you read McHenry County Blog.

Invited were Woodstock City Council members and McHenry County Board members.

My source says Rauner “snuck in the back door.”

The public was not allowed in the meeting, even though there were people who wished to be included.

When it was over, the same source said the Governor “snuck out the side door.”

Rauner then spoke at Johnsburg High School.

Today the McHenry County Board is scheduled to consider the following “Turnaround” resolution:

RESOLUTION FOR THE TURNAROUND AGENDA – LOCAL GOVERNMENT
EMPOWERMENT AND REFORM

WHEREAS, Illinois state law creates a “one size fits all” approach to collective bargaining for local units of governments. This approach creates added costs which are ultimately passed on to taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, voters and local officials should determine what is a subject of bargaining – not the State; and

WHEREAS, local control of bargaining would allow voters or local governments to determine if certain topics should be excluded from collective bargaining, including contracting, wages, provisions of health insurance, use of employee time, required levels of staffing, procedures and criteria for personal evaluations, academic performance, conduct, and discipline in school; and

WHEREAS, state law sets thresholds for workers on state and local construction projects increasing costs significantly; and

WHEREAS, state law has increased utilization of Project Labor Agreements for construction projects; and

WHEREAS, repealing the Illinois Prevailing Wage Law and the requirements for Project Labor Agreements would allow local governments more control over construction and project costs; and

WHEREAS, more than 280 unfunded mandates have been imposed in recent years in communities across Illinois, costing those communities billions. Rolling back mandates will create more flexibility in local government budgets; and

WHEREAS, Illinois’ workers compensation costs are the seventh highest in the nation – and more than double the costs in Indiana; and

WHEREAS, updating how injuries are apportioned to ensure employers pay for injuries that occur on the job, a clarification regarding the definition of “traveling employees” to ensure a reasonable standard that excludes risks that would impact the general public, and implementation of American Medical Association guidelines when determining impairment would result in major cost savings for local governments; and

WHEREAS, voters in our community should be allowed to decide via referendum whether or not employees should be forced to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment; and

WHEREAS, local employment zones will help attract jobs and make our community more attractive for businesses; and

WHEREAS, local governments face unfunded liabilities that threaten core services and functions of government; state action on pension reform for future work should provide local governments the ability to address pension reform for future work as well.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by this County Board of McHenry County, Illinois hereby endorses major reforms in state government that will encourage local control, reduce costs on local governments, empower local voters, and increase competitiveness in our community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Clerk is hereby directed to distribute a certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Rauner; McHenry County State Representatives and Senators; members of the McHenry County Board; the County Administrator; and Department Heads/Elected Officials.