When I last was able to view an Algonquin Township Board meeting (in person in October), Supervisor Randy Funk was quesrioned about a new peson he hired, which he said was for “HR/PR.”

This month, Trustees Teresa Decker and Millie Medendorp criticized the new hire intensely.

Decker revealed that the woman, Kelli Freeman, was receiving a total compensation package of $95,000. That includes insurance or herself, her husband and child, which Decker guessed cost $20,000.

During debate on whether to transfer $30,000 from a bus line item to insurance, Funk pointed out that the $30,000 would not be spent, but he did not reveal why.

The reason is that the Town Fund part of Algonquin Township government offloaded the cost onto the Road District as part of a comprehensive cost shariing intergovernmental agreement in November. The relevant section can be seen below:

That occured, along with discussion of the tax levy at the November meeting, which, unfortunatley, was not considered improtant enough to broadcast.

When Trustee Ed Zimel asked Funk why the extra $30,000 was needed to pay for employee insurance, the reply was that Sandberg was taking insurance, which is paid out of the Town Fund, while her predecessor Andrew Gasser did not, that new hire Kelli Freeman , haer hysband and chiule were now being given health insurance and Blue Cross had annnoiunced a 10% premium increase.

Trustee Decker pointed out there wold have been “enough funds without the new hire.”

Funk disagreed.

Decker returned to a theme introduced earlier in the meeting that the discussion was now back to budget constraints with the new hire.”

Administrator Pam Gavers pinted out that employees pay 10% of the cost of insurance and that comes out of their pay checks.

“You have three full-time employees,” Mederdorp told Funk via the Zoom connection.

[That is one more than predecessor Chuck Lutzow had.]

“This is increasing the budget to accomodate the new hire,” addded Decker.

[Without her]we might have needed only $5,000.

Medendorp told of last year’s budget for employee insurance being $71,000, which was increased to $120,000 in this year’s budget and, adding the requested $30,000, would total $150,000–“a 110% increase.”

When a vote was taken it was the two men voting in favor and three three women voting in opposition.

As the meeting continued a $5,000 tranfer was made on a 3-2 vote with Decker and Theresa Fronczak opposing, to the IT line mtem to pay a $100 an hour contractor mainly to update the website.

Before the vote Decker asked if the new hire, now called the “Project Manager,” would be able to do what the it man was doing.

Fund replied, “In a brief word, Yes.”

Funk interjected at this point that the townshjip has “half a million dollars sitting” unallocated.

[That means about that much was overtaxed.]

He siad he was required to tell the employees and the union (Local 150 of the Operating Engineers) “tomorrow” of the possiiblity that they would not have health insurance.

Zmel asked if transferring $15,000 would be enough.

Gavers said, “Probably.”

Zimel referred to some three month health insurance reimbusemenmt check expected from former Supervisor Lutzow.

At this point attorney Cortina intejected,

“[You} could reconsider for health insurance to avoid all of the various lawsuits that would fall upon the Townshipl for non-payment of health insurance.”

Aiming at Funk, Medendorp said, “This is the direct result of hiring a person who was not in the budget Now we’re being forced to approve because you hired someone who was not in the budget,’ referring to new hire Freeman’s $95,000 compensation package.

“The hiring and firing of empllyees is up to the Supervisor,” Funk retorted.

:It’s within the budget.”

Concerning the budget, Funk asserted, “We won’t know what’s going on until one and a half years areunder our belts.”

“You’re going to be over your budget because you hired above your budgetary constraints.” Mendendorp responded.

“This is not my budget. We’re not asking for more moneyu.

“Cortina told you what is going to happen. It will happen in a week.”

Zimel added, “No one is saying we don;t like our Program Manager,”

Continuing on her theme aobut the new hiere, Decker pointed out that the new hire did not haver to be put on as a full-toime employee with full benefits.

She could have been “a 1099 or a part-time temp.”

“Then, we wouldn’t have a health insurance problem.”

“When I decided to hire Kelli, I knew there was enough money in the budget to hire Kelli.

“The bottom line for the taxpayer is it is [not] costing any moremoney.”

`”Transfering $30,000, shame on me.”

“I didn’t want to amend the budget months ago.”

“If we keep not spending enough money, it’ll go into an account ans some fancy lawyer will [come and get it.], Funk added.

Decker: “Was that new hire resally needed?”

Medendorp: “I still do not agree with hiring a new person [outside the budget].”

A motion was made to reconsider the rejection of the $30,000 transfer.

It passed withonly Decker votin in opposition.

The meeting adjourned at one hour and 58 minutes.

In his submission to the McHenry County League of Women Voters prior to his election Funk wrote, “I will also do my best to avoid unnecessary controversy in our Township government.”

In his campaign literature, Funk promised a “Return to Normalcy”: