From former McHenry County Board member Ersel Schuster, who is running for McHenry County Board in District 6.

Who is Behind This Legislative Imitative?

OR:

Do Our County Board Members Understand the Unintended Consequences?

In today’s political climate, one would think those we elect to represent us would be eager to prove they hear our concerns and could be counted on to make every effort to clean up their act.

Locally, and from all indications, we have a glaring example why that is not going to be the case.

Fact is, the in-your-face actions by these folks is once again staring us in the face.

Senate Bill 2243, legislation introduced by State Senator Karen McConnaughay on October 18th, facilitates a power grab by county board chairmen.

The ultimate goal of this amendment is to allow a county board chairman the right to stack county board committees and committee chairman positions with his/her cronies.

For the voters, this exemplifies the exact problem we have with government, top, to the very bottom.

Make no mistake, this simple amendment creates a major change to the County Code and what you voted for when the last referendum on electing the county chair pass in a low turnout, off year, election.

It is important to understand that there are dramatic differences between a board chairman elected at large and an “executive chairman” elected at large.

The latter was rejected by McHenry County residents by a vote of nearly 3 to 1.

Our current elected chairman has been under the illusion he is an “executive chairman” and no one has been successful in making him understand that the structure of his election gives him no more power than the chairman elected by board members under the previous board structure.

Unfortunately for taxpayers, a majority of our county board members have been unwilling to uphold their own board Rules and are all too willing, like lemmings, to jump off the proverbial cliff, allowing for inappropriate actions that have created long term financial and legal problems, setting the stage for future legal entanglements.

For those public officials who loudly champion the concept of “open, transparency in government,” consider yourselves challenged to explain how, when and who in McHenry County discussed, collectively approved, and actually support this legislation.

Based on the available information one can only conclude these legislators and the McHenry County Board chair are doing an end-run around our county board members, stripping them of their responsibilities and control.

As our county board members, in order to protect your taxpayers, it is incumbent upon you to openly put a stop to proposed amendment SB 2243.