Anti-Township crusader Bob Anderson has turned his government consolidation magnifying glass on General Assistance provided by township governments.
He tells me that Illinois is the only state were this local welfare program still exists.
And, he has researched General Assistance in McHenry County.
Below is what Anderson found:
163 General Assistance clients in a county with more than 311,122 residents.
A total of $178,069 distributed.
Eight of seventeen townships with no clients.
Dorr Township, the fifth largest township had the most clients–41.
There are three functions mandate for township government:
- maintaining roads
- assessing property
- distribution of General Assistance
The Highway Commissioner handles roads virtually independent of the Township Board, which does approve payment of its bills, usually without question.
The Assessor has his or her own department.
That leaves the Township Supervisor with the mandate duty to distribute General Assistance.
Below are the salaries and fringe benefits of McHenry County’s Township Supervisors, plus some in Lake County:
Anderson points out that reports required by the State Comptroller have not been filed by Marengo and McHenry Townships and makes his recommendations:
Just another rip-off.
Bob, tell the township leeches that the administrative overhead far exceeds the costs of the handouts.
Hardly efficient.
And that’s not counting the bloated pensions.
How much goes to illegals?
One of the main problems is how much the Supervisor is paid.
As the population of the township goes up, all of the township officials use that as an excuse to raise their salaries and budgets.
However, the only funciton which really increases is that of the Assessor as he/she assesses all of the properties in the township including those in incorporated areas.
Road mileage is usually reduces as township roads, unlike county, state and federal roads, are removed from the township road district when that road is annexed to become a city street.
Most population growth occurs inside of municipalities where water and sewer are available so developers can get much more density than they can if they build something in an unincorporated area.
Also these new developments don’t tend to bring in lower income people, although that may have changed a bit with the federal housing mandates.
So generally the demand for interim assistance does not go up in proportion to the population growth, and therefore the work of the Supervisor does not go up proportionatly either.
Nevertheless, the salary goes up in proportion to the population growth.
In addition, with the larger population the Supervisor justifies getting a staff person so he/she is no longer doing the paperwork associated with the applications. (not to mention that the township duplicates the work of IDPA rather than just have them send over a copy of the application they made there and use that).
Apart from that there are really no changes in the Supervisor’ work which is maintenance of already existing postage stamp sized township cemeteries dating back to the 19th century and signing payroll checks for the Road District employees which are nowadays generated usually by an outside payroll company such as ADT.
So a comparision of Supervisor salaries in the various townships along with a description of what staff support they have and their budgets would be a good compliment to the above chart.
Township General Assistance Program – As bloated as Pritzker’s belly and just as worthless.
Bob Braveheart got it right.
Well done Bob.
Very informative.
The only problem is the overpaid talking head teleprompter monkeys won’t expose the bloat.
Sickening. How do these township pigs justify their swinish existence?
Is this 1820?
Taxpayers aren’t supposed to notice these things.
They’re here only to pay for it.
Cal, did Bob really make this or was it, Joe Biden?
Twice Bob has 163 G.A. Clients, yet the chart has 129.
Alg Twh doesn’t have the highest levy, the chart has McHenry twh.
Three, not two twhs have a zero levy.
Divid total expenditures by county population it’s only about Fifty cents per person.
That calculation doesn’t even close to the actual cost to deliver GA, which like this nonsense by Bob totally incomplete, not enough to vote on.
More much more is needed.
* Note the put down Bob makes of Assessors, political BS, as he fails to mention the other certification by law required to be and Assessor in IL.
The Nob, alias Rebecca (Bob Miller’s dumb daughter), shows her incompetence.
With welfare, SNAP, medicaid, Sect. 8, LEAP, etc., etc., etc., this is totally unnecessary, and that’s why Illinois is THE ONLY state in the union that still operates in the 19th century.
Nob, Guam and Puerto Rico don’t have this crazy freebie for wastrels, either.
Township supervisors are useless hogs at the trough.
I’m so glad Bib cut the McHenry Twnsp dupervisors pay from $120k to $45k, but that’s way overboard too.
If you have a staff person take the application and fill out the financial information it should not take the Supervisor more than 15 minutes to interview the applicant and a few seconds to sign the check after the staff person generates it.
So even in a “busy” township like Dorr, with 41 applications in a YEAR, you should be talking about maybe 10 to 12 hours total for the ENTIRE YEAR of direct Supervisor involvment.
The remaining work that the Supervisor does is similarly minimal.
The township cemetaries are maintained by hiring a landscaper.
Road District payroll checks are generated by an outside company.
Township board meetings are usually over in a half hour once per month.
There would be some review probably of budgets but that is about it.
The whole job should not take more than 10 hours per week even in the most populated townships.
Nice job if you can get it.
Because Science, i think this is the first time I agree with you!
Yes, the figures don’t add up.
Oh, and don’t forget: 17 of Illinois’ 102 counties got rid of townships in the 1930s, and guess what….. they did and do just fine.
Interesting info and I would like to know the question mentioned above about how many illegals?
Bob, flogging a dead horse just like Cal and the clubhouse.
JPMatthews, as you know, or should anyway, General Assistance isn’t the same as the other welfare type programs, benefit can be had in a day with GA, not weeks like other welfare programs.
Most Politian’s shy away from any cut in benefits, it costs them votes and reelection.
Modify welfare at tad and GA could easily be justified for elimination.
Elimination is fine, form a good plan, get all the needed facts, then lets us vote on it.
If fiscally justified, I’ll vote for it gladly.
Rebecca, not my ignorant pal, try paying attention before making Ass umptions.
GET RID OF TOWNSHIPS IN:
Algonquin
Nunda
McHenry
Road Districts should only exist in unincorporated areas if at all.
Didn’t Algonquin Township’S Snoopervisor create a position and hire friend for %90,000 for doing what?
No comment from Township attorney when trustees ask questions.
Why??
Townships are just another god damned racket to transfer income from the productive to the indolent so they can breed even more demanding welfareites.
Nitwit Nob, how come Illinois is the only state that still has this administrately highly inefficient give away program?
There’s no welfare in Mexico btw. Period.