Comments from newly-elected McHenry County Board member Craig Wilcox:
Craig Wilcox
Thank you Mr Chairman,
I appreciate your words on
“Focusing on outcomes, and not politics”
and
“Putting the politics aside”
so in regards to that, I just wanted to address the one comment that was kind of new to me when I read the NWH article yesterday and that was
“The aptly named Committee on Committees, which is assembled after every election to assign members to the committees in which most of county government’s work gets done, will not meet until an official decision is made on the committee structure.”
I thought through that a little bit, and I could find no reasons why the Committee on Committee needs to wait until the Temporary Rules Committee has completed its’ tasks.
As a newly elected member, I am here to get to work and in regards I think everyone else here is too.
So I would think the Committee on Committees should start their discussions immediately.
Their consideration of which board members are qualified and have the leadership skills to be Committee Chairs should be based on the unique abilities of those members and what they bring to the county today…those members skills and capabilities do not change depending on which possible rule changes we may enact at the next meeting.
When the public chose to popularly elect our Chairman it was in part to eliminate any perceived possibility of political gamesmanship that might occur if a Chairman ever were to talk with another member and engage in a Quid Pro Quo of
“Vote for me for Chairman and I will ensure you Committee Chair positions.”
We do not want to immediately replace that potential situation with another potential situation where the public might perceive that in order to be considered qualified to be a committee chair one must first prove themselves by ratifying certain rules changes.
We can and should separate these two issues and that means allowing the Committee on Committees to start their process immediately, even as the Temporary Rules Committee begins their work.
We have smart and dedicated board members on both of those committees when we elect them and select them and the public should never be put in a position to wonder if results from one committee dictate the actions of the other.
Let’s remove this possible perception and ensure complete transparency as we begin the work of this new board.
Thank you.
Thank you Member Wilcox.
You are a breath of fresh air!
You get it.
McHenry County need not to sink to the level of IL politics… which is where things are clearly headed if others on this board choose to ignore your well stated position on these issues.
Franks kicked you butts into gear by getting rid of pensions for board members, before that he passed the referendum for a popular elected board chair, before hat he tried to pass the county executive referendum.
Franks has been the motivator for change.
I love how board members are so quick to want change when they had decades to do so.
What’s the saying about cake and eating it too?
Just look at who Jack Franks picked for his Rules Committee! Paula Yensen
Really!
Though she was on the board for 4 years can you say favoritism!
LOL And look down the list only Chuck Wheeler is one of the conservatives on that list!
And why is Kearns on there?
Never been on the County Board!
Interesting that 3 members on the rules Committee is in District 6!
Politics at its finest with Jack Franks at the helm!
Good Luck to all the county board members you will need it!
Mod: Franks did not “pass the referendum for a popular (sic) elected board chair”.
That was put on the ballot by the Board because of the history of quid pro quo favoritism in the previous system of having the Chairman appoint the committee chairs and then appointing those members who had voted for him/her (surprise!).
That is also why we have so many committees.
Twelve votes were needed to elect the Chairman plus his/her own vote, so we had roughly that many committees.
I agree that this can be whittled down.
I had introduced changes to the Rules during my first year to have the committee on committees selected by the other Board Members in each district, as we did this week for the first time.
This was opposed by then Chairman Tina Hill and ridiculed by future Chairman Joe G.
Had those been adopted then, there would have been no push for a popularly elected Chairman insofar as the Board was concerned.
I had also wanted the referendum placed on the ballot so the election for Chairman would occur during a mid term election year when Republicans are more favored, and warned back then that failing to do so could result in Mr.Franks’ election.
The new rules were only adopted after such a referendum passed.
Now it looks like a variant of the spoils system we thought we were doing away with may be resurrected by Mr. Franks.
The establishment of the “Temporary Rules Committee” is a perversion of a provision in our Rules that was not intended to be used in that manner.
One of the first things we will need to do in the new Rules is to close that barn door now that the horse has escaped and is running down the road.
The Law Of Unintended Consequences strikes again.
Mike,
Sure.
You’re right.
Franks’ advisory referendum had nothing to do with the board allowing the public to elect the board chairman.
Lol
what a hack you are.
What’s the Franks real agenda?:
A glimpse of it: https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–_zRYWrFy–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/195ni2mlgbdvdjpg.jpg
Northwest Herald
New McHenry County Board Members, Chairman Jack Franks, To Be Sworn In
December 3, 2016
by Kevin Craver
http://www.nwherald.com/2016/12/02/new-mchenry-county-board-members-chairman-jack-franks-to-be-sworn-in/a7bvr1h
“The aptly named Committee on Committees, which is assembled after every election to assign members to the committees in which most of county government’s work gets done, will not meet until an official decision is made on the committee structure.”
– Jack Franks released this information to Kevin Craver before releasing it to county board members?
McHenry County Board
Regular Meeting
December 5, 2016
County Board Conference Room, Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock
– Agenda
– Agenda Packet
– Audio of meeting
http://mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3578
You got it, Old Man.
Stop posting your tiresome drivel, Mark.
You help no one!
Path to the above meeting
http://www.co.mchenry.il.us > County Government > Meeting Portal > Past Meetings > December 2016 > Dec 5, 2016 9:00 AM – County Board – Regular Meeting