Ed Burke in 2009, Photo credit Wikipedia.
With Alderman Ed Burke under pressure to resign as Chairman of the Chicago City Council Finance Committee, the following comment by Alderman John Arena in The Daily Line might stir some thought on the McHenry County Board:
“The decision on who chairs the committees is made by the aldermen. It should be made by the aldermen, it shouldn’t be at the advice and consent of the mayor,” Arena said. “We are our own legislative body and we control our own destiny and we should represent ourselves in this.”
As explained in the article below (Comparing Chicago’s Weak Mayor Form of Government with McHenry County’s Weak Chairman System), both Chicago and McHenry County have elected at-large weak leader systems of government.
Both of the weak leaders have pretty much figured out how to install the committee chairmen of their choice.
I’m betting that committee chairmen in Chicago set their own agendas as well, something McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks did not allow committee chairman like Yvonne Barnes to do.
How do other County boards operate in Illinois or other States?
Such as in Kane, Winnebago, Boone, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, etc.
There are 102 counties in Illinois.
What methods or systems of boards and board leaders works best, is most effective, least political, most fair and equitable?
What are the best practices?
What method or system is most effective in denying a chairman or leader from becoming a dictator once installed?
Perhaps the County Board could create a “Speaker of the Board” position that is elected by the Board Members with no input from the Chair.
That position could serve as a focal point for rallying resistance against an overzealous Chair.
Realistically, the Board already has all the power that it needs to stop Jacko from from acting like a dictator.
Unfortunately, too many of its members are lazy RINOs with no spine who are only interested in the check, the perks, and the perceived status.
Will County, with a legal strong executive form of government has such a position and a staffer to coordinate board action.
If the Board ever decides to create an Office of the Speaker, it could poach one of the two staff positions that Many Chins created.
No new head count.
billy bob, wouldn’t that patronage hire of Jack Franks be beholden to him?
That wouldn’t seem right.
I wouldn’t keep the same person in the job, just transfer who the position reports to.
Let one of Jacko’s cronies transfer somewhere else with the County or find a new employer.
It’ll never happen anyways.
There are only a few Board Members with functioning spines.