Republicans Give Democrat Franks County Board Victory

The effort of less than half of Republicans on the McHenry County Board to rein in Democratic Party McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks failed Thursday.

There were two issues.

The first was Jack Franks’ Christmas season patronage hiring of two former campaign workers without gaining the required permission of the McHenry County Board.

Prior to Board members considering the resolution on the agenda, Franks frothed falsely that he was like every other countywide elected official.

Former electoral opponent Mike Walkup set those attending straight by pointing out that other countywide elected officials were mentioned in the Illinois State Constitution, while the Office of County Board Chairman was not.

After most of the first resolution’s proponents put forth their arguments (Chuck Wheeler’s blinking light was ignored by Franks), Joe Gottemoller moved to turn the motion on its head.

That was amended by Larry Smith to send the revised version to three committees.

Human Services Committee Chairman Yvonne Barnes wanted some direction to the committees, but none was given.

The effect of the motion was to delay the decision, which the minority who called the Special Meeting has been trying to surface at the County Board level since January, even further.

Voting the way that Democrat Jack Franks desired were Michele Aavang, Kay Bates, Chris Christensen, Joe Gottemoller, John Jung, Don Kopsell, Mary McCann, John Reinert, Mike Skala, Larry Smith, Chris Spoerl, Tom Wilbeck, all Republicans, plus Democrat Paula Yensen.  Jim Heisler voted, “No,” but the electronic vote counter did not register his vote.

The new touted tote board did not work.

John Heisler, among others, had problems.

The process took much longer than a voice vote would have.

But it did serve one purpose.

It allowed Franks to see who was voting how.

Jack Franks has the same advantage over ordinary County Board members that House Speaker Mike Madigan has in Springfield. He can see how a vote is progressing. At least in Springfield, House members can see how people are voting before the tally is taken because as people vote, their votes appear on the public tote board.

When I sort out who voted how, I’ll add the information.

The second resolution called for making public McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Opinions which scuttlebutt says backs up the contentions of those calling the Special Meeting that the County Board, not the County Board Chairman does the hiring.

Below you can see the photo I took of the voting.  Note that two proponents, Jim Heisler and Donna Kurtz did not have their votes recorded.

Both John Heisler and Donna Kurtz voted in favor of the resolution, but were not recorded as voting in favor.


Comments

Republicans Give Democrat Franks County Board Victory — 28 Comments

  1. Let’s also recap.

    Chuck Wheeler GUSHED over Secretary of State White. Saying he votes Democrat for White every, single, time.

    Yvonne Barnes doesn’t know the difference between 1, 2, or H

    Donna Kurtz was baited by Herb Franks and took it.

    She also doesn’t understand how an RFQ works.

    Craig Wilcox sounded like a pedantic fool.

  2. Sunshine blogger: Should we start referring to our McHenry County board chairman as Jack Chávez? Or perhaps Jack Castro? How about Jack Jong-un?Our sunshine commenters may agree with this. Just saying…tic, tock, tic, tock…

  3. “Fair Play” it seems that you and I were not at the same two board meetings today. Mr. Wheeler, Ms. Barnes, Ms. Kurtz, Col. Wilcox, Mr. Walkup, Mr. Thorsen, Mr. Rein, Mr. Wilbeck and several others spoke clearly and directly.

    A breath of fresh air sweeping away the fetid Springfield fumes we seem to be experiencing lately.

    It was very good to at least see the issues being discussed and debated openly.

    Now if rules and proper procedures can be followed, perhaps actual progress might be had.

  4. According to the NW Herald: “Pete has acknowledged he didn’t follow protocol and started this train that is before us,” he said.

    According to the CODE OF ETHICS of the INTERNATIONAL and ILLINOIS City Management Association (for which the COUNTY is paying upwards of $2,000 A YEAR for Austin’s PERSONAL membership):

    Tenet 11. Handle all matters of personnel on the basis of merit so that fairness and impartiality govern a
    member’s decisions, pertaining to appointments, pay adjustments, promotions, and discipline.

    https://icma.org/sites/default/files/ICMA%20Code%20of%20Ethics%20%28Amended%20June%202017%29_0.pdf

    File a complaint, get him kicked out of the associations, and it will save the county $2,000 a year because he will no longer be eligible for membership. The person to file a complaint is Martha Perego 202-962-3668 mperego@icma.org

    BTW… Peter Austin’s 2016/17 salary report per the website: $211,836 per year.

  5. Such a lot of disappointment!

    They had a chance to exemplify transparency, represent the voters, do the right thing, vote for the taxpayers and do the job their constituents put them in office to do, and they failed miserably!

    Wilbeck buckled.

    No spine!

    Thanks to the few that did the right thing.

    Too bad you don’t have associates compelled to do the right thing.

  6. Re: “Franks frothed falsely”

    How many in the voting community know this?

    How many people heard what Jesse White said when he described the “round mound”.

  7. If Austin is replaced, who has the power to replace him?

    If it is Franks,we could be in for worse problems.

    Be VERY SURE about the consequences and where it will go.

  8. Yesterday was a victory for the taxpayer and a loss for Cal Skinner.

    Jesse White was inspiring and beloved.

    None of that message was projected here, just a very NARROW band of fifteen minutes that fit Cal’s very narrow agenda.

    This is a hate blog

  9. There is no victory for the taxpayer when:

    1) we are still paying for Franks tripling the cost of the office he holds

    2) the board members vote AGAINST Transparency

    3) the board members allow Franks to continue to get Requests for Quotes to possibly privatize the county nursing home that the taxpayers voted for and invested in for years

    4) when the board members allow the chairman of the board to avoid following board rules, avoid protocol

    5) when the board rolls over like cheap bought and paid-for prostitutes and refuse represent their constituents

    This was a sad day for McHenry county Taxpayers

    And a kick in the teeth to the Watchdogs who stepped in to aid these board members to do the right thing.

  10. If someone had videotaped county board meeting then they could have videotaped Democrat County Board Chair Jack Franks ignoring the blinking light of Republican District 4 county board member Chuck Wheeler.

  11. Watch Valley Hi, someone is looking to make a lot of money from this deal.

  12. Re: Russelville

    1) We are still paying for Franks tripling the cost of the office he holds
    –False: There is no additional cost to the taxpayer in filling these positions. Craig Wilcox even agrees that it was a net netural hire.

    2) The board members vote AGAINST Transparency
    –What does that even mean?

    3) The board members allow Franks to continue to get Requests for Quotes to possibly privatize the county nursing home that the taxpayers voted for and invested in for years
    –And RFP is a discovery process, not a done deal. Are you afraid of discovering possible cost savings? In the private sector, RFPs are VERY common. Maybe you are an uninformed public sector employee….

    4) When the board members allow the chairman of the board to avoid following board rules, avoid protocol.
    –This doesn’t even merit a response.

    5) when the board rolls over like cheap bought and paid-for prostitutes and refuse represent their constituents
    This was a sad day for McHenry county Taxpayers. And a kick in the teeth to the Watchdogs who stepped in to aid these board members to do the right thing.
    –Please see last response.

    In sum, many recent attacks on Franks are for a very narrow political gain for the frenetic GOP base they pander to. Get your facts straight.

  13. I did not attend the Committee of the Whole meeting.

    Feel free to add what you observed that I did not.

  14. An honorable leader bends and breaks rules in cases that others benefit, and it is the right thing to do, and it puts the honorable leader at risk and profits him nothing.

    That is not the case in this instance.

    In this case, a ruler bent/broke laws and rules to put others at risk of jobs (HR Dept. Head, Trans Dept Head, County Administrator) so that he could reward handpicked patronage employees which are costing taxpayers $166,000 annually first year, plus COLA escalating cost in future years, and OPEB obligations and unfunded pension obligations.
    And these are jobs which only benefit the ruler, not the taxpayers.

  15. The argument of ‘Net Neutral’ would apply if the money ‘budgeted’ for nonexistent job descriptions were abated to taxpayers too.

    Net neutral is a morally repugnant argument.

  16. The VH RFQ is written in such a way as to allow final decisions to be made by a narrow partisan few insiders.

  17. Lack of Transparency means that when County Code is not enforced, on a selective basis determined with political influence as a factor, and the inner machinations are kept secret from the public (AG opinions, e.g.) there is lack of transparency.

  18. DEMOCRATS are known by many names, and we shall remember the TRATIORS among us.

  19. There is obviously a cost for the two patronage hires.

    They are paid salary and benefits.

  20. Every yes vote is vote against the taxpayer!

    They must be booted!

    Shame on Bates, Christensen … complete phonies!

    Hammerrand AWOL again!

  21. ‘Nasty Onion’ boy Jung… why is he still there?

    What does Franks have on him and Aavang?

    That’s what I’d like to know!

  22. Yvonne Barnes said it best and paraphrasing..

    Since when does doing the right thing become wrong!!!

    Yvonne Barnes, Craig Wilcox and Donna Kurtz had the best speeches and Kudos to Chuck Wheeler, Mike Rein and parts of Mike Walkup for their remarks.

    Jack Franks is in the wrong on this and he can sue til the cows come home.

    I wonder what is behind the States Attorney’s Opinion as well.

    Great rebuttal from Craig Wilcox to Joe Gottemoller. J

    oe Gottemoller stating lets turn over all States Attorney’s opinion because it will not hurt the county.

    Craig Wilcox states very clearly yes releasing all the States Attorney’s opinion would jeopardize the county.

    These particular opinions will not!!

  23. I resent the comment that described our glorious sunshine blog as a “hate blog.” This is all and only about love; we love unregulated capitalism, big businesses, the border patrol, tax cuts, Joe Walsh, Rush Limbaugh, our sunshine blogger, the King James Bible, and above all, our second amendment, which protects all other amendments (not sure about cats though…). Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  24. The States Atty’s opinion HAS to be that Franks doesn’t have the right to hire personnel.

    Why else would they not release the States Atty’s findings after voting to let Franks keep his patronage hires.

    Think about it.

    Pretty obvious States Atty said Franks has not right to hire.

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