Got this from former McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster and have permission to share it with you:

Kicking the Can Isn’t Going to Cut It Anymore

As residents, taxpayers and voters in McHenry County, it is time for us to become more involved with those we elect to various government offices.

To not be involved and failing to voice our comments and concerns to these folks in a timely manner, we give them a blank check and say… have-at-it!

In the world of today’s politician, they take our silence to mean they’re doing what we want.

They think we agree with the way they are spending the tax money they’ve extracted from us.

They believe we trust them.

When we choose to take this hands-off position, unfortunately, we lose our right to complain.

A recent McHenry County Board meeting provides a small glimpse as to why we may want to rethink our disengagement with those we elect to represent us.

To those less familiar with the internet, access the McHenry County Board’s website (https://www.co.mchenry.il.us); at the top of the “home” page, access the “County Meetings.”

On the left side of the page, in the drop down menu, choose “county board.”

Go to the May 19, 2015 county board meeting; click on “audio” for this meeting; move the audio bar to 1:21:10.

At this point in the recording you can hear a discussion on whether or not the county board will take a “levy increase.”

Note that in layman’s terms “levy increase” means increasing the amount of real estate tax money they want us to “contribute” to running county government for the fiscal year 2015/16.

Next, move down the audio bar to 2:14:10, near the end of this recording.

At this point, discussion begins on establishing another county task force.

As outlined, appointees will come from the same old list of the county’s “movers & shakers.”

This membership will include county department personnel, elected officials and select agency representatives.

Direction given these task force members is that they research and develop a report explaining

“Why people are leaving McHenry County”

In these discussions, several members express concern that their funding sources will be reduced and suggest a need to “shrink” the cost of county government.

In political terms “funding sources” equals our money; money they expect to collect through

• numerous state & federal taxes
• real estate taxes
• sales taxes
• “grants (tax dollars)”
• fuel taxes
• communication taxes…
• and on it goes

Over and over again, members are quick to pronounce their personal satisfaction in not having taken an increase in the real estate tax levy over the last three years and plan to do the same this year.

That is definitely a positive; however, they do not take credit for postponing the inevitable.

Past avoidance of levy increases have been accomplished by reducing the number of pens, paper clips, copy paper, and other office supplies consumed by the county.

It meant that “capital” projects and equipment purchases have been delayed or ignored.

This has enabling members to claim they have balanced budgets.

While reality is about to force itself to the forefront, too many county board members continue living in the “squeeze, pretend & delay” mode.

County officials proposing the new task force have also been heard to say that our real estate taxes are not too high.

These same board members claim to be “living in the real world” and argue in support of keeping the door open to raising the levy on property taxes.

Proof of the mental disconnect is when confronted with a roll call vote, it seems all 24 voted “no” to increasing the levy.

It would seem that it is one thing to voice positions, it is another thing when anti-taxpayer positions are made part of the official record. This makes it impossible for them to hide behind anonymity, thus the flip-flop.

Reality is that approximately 3/4^th of the county budget ($245,000,000+) is for salaries and benefits. In other words, we’re dealing with the “third-rail” of county government. Never mind that services are being duplicated and/or, unnecessary.

Over the prior 6 years.

A lone voice continued to call attention to the need for taking a long hard look at the services county government provides.

Unfortunately, no one stepped forward to join the effort.

The lack of enthusiasm on the part of public officials for such a project, may have worked out better in the end.

Frankly, the idea of reducing county government is beyond the scope of their pay grade and Heaven forbid, they would need to make hard decisions.

The project actually needs to be addressed by a group of taxpayers; folks who have excellent business and financial credentials and good researching skills.

The usual suspects need not step up; nor should there be anyone connected to any of the entities feeding at the public trough.

The ultimate goal of such a group would be expose a sampling of factual and doable recommendations for reducing county government. In other words, there will be no sacred cows.

Every department and/or entity, under direct control of the county board, as well as those departments with elected officials, should be fair game.

Any volunteers out there? Call 815-338-2207 or email at ecs6437@att.net.