Published March 29th on the Kane County Republican Party web site, this article by Marc Avelar of Algonquin is republished with the author’s permission:
Dundee Township Supervisor Arin Thrower Displays Refinement by Fire
The April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election is here and balloting began on March 7.
Elected positions in municipalities, townships, local school districts, park districts, library districts, fire protection districts and community college districts boards of trustees are up for election, along with the very important Kane County retail sales tax referendum is on the ballot, with many of these offices uncontested.
While the vast majority of offices up for election this year in Kane County are nonpartisan, the Republican Party has tickets in Dundee and Elgin townships facing opposition from local Democrats.
In Dundee Township, incumbent Supervisor Arin Thrower (R, East Dundee) is facing a Democratic opponent slated at the Dundee Township Democratic Caucus back in December.
While Thrower’s opponent has not waged a viable campaign, that does not stop extreme elements within the Democratic Party in Dundee Township from proving, “desperate men will do desperate things” in the last weeks of the election campaign.
The poise, grace and leadership Thrower has displayed in the face of cheap and vicious attacks by extremist bad actor Democrats is shared here in order to prove, in spite of some naysayers among political consultants, the Republican Party can advance in elections in 2026 by the pragmatic, centrist record Supervisor Thrower has displayed in her 1st term in office.
Her record appeals to mainstream voters and why Thrower will win on April 1.
The Democratic extremists have tried to make an issue out of Thrower’s record with the township’s Mental Health Board, given the legal complications with the 2020 referendum delaying the implementation of a mental health property tax levy by two years.
Background: Dundee Township’s Long Road from Mental Health Referendum Passage to Implementation of First Mental Health Levy
As previously disclosed, I serve on the Dundee Township Mental Health Board (DTMHB) being appointed by Supervisor Thrower in July of 2022, with advice and consent of the Township Board. Within 6 months of my appointment, I was elected president of the DTMHB by the members of the DTMHB and have served in this capacity for over 2 years.
Five years ago, Dundee Township voters approved the referendum creating the DTMHB under the governance of the Community Mental Health Act by 62% of the vote. In the same election, voters in Elgin Township did the same with a greater supermajority of approval.
At the end of 2020, the previous Dundee Township Board, attempted to levy over $3 million in order to take advantage of the maximum allowed under the referendum’s wording. Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham (R, Aurora), under his statutory authority as the property tax extension officer, noted required language of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL, commonly called the “tax cap”) was not part of the referendum language.
Consequently Cunningham, after consultation with State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser (D, Campton Hills), would not extend the mental health property tax levies for both Dundee and Elgin townships.
In the 2021 Dundee Township elections, Thrower defeated incumbent Supervisor Trish Glees (D, West Dundee) but in the waning days of Glees’ term, the Township Board chose to file litigation in late April of 2021 against Clerk Cunningham.
The following day, I informed the Kane County Public Service Committee in public comment of the Township Board’s approval to file litigation against Cunningham which prompted State’s Attorney Mosser to make an unscheduled in-person appearance at the April 22, 2021, Public Service Committee meeting and after executive session, Mosser gave this explanation of the issues with the mental health levies per the cued video, approximately 2 ½ minutes.
The litigation was adjudicated and on November 22, 2021, the Honorable Judge Kevin T. Busch sided with Clerk Cunningham under 16th Judicial Circuit Case No. 21-MR-000801.
On November 22, 2021, legislation was filed in Springfield to “validate” all community mental health boards where referendums for their creation were approved without PTELL language during the entire life of PTELL. Governor JB Pritzker signed this validation bill into law on May 13, 2022, under Public Act 102-0839. With the 2022 property tax levy to be approved in December, the DTMHB could be funded with property taxes within the boundary of levy approved by voters.
At the March 13, 2025, DTMHB meeting, I addressed the changing landscape of legislation facing all community mental health boards in this 10-minute president’s report.
The Dundee Township Mental Health Board is One of Many Winning Issues for Thrower
With all of the background, here is how Democratic extremists are trying to attack Supervisor Arin Thrower and the Republican majority on the Dundee Township Board on March 27, 2025:
Sandy Morganstein, 81, is a Dundee Township resident and is trying to link the local Township Board as “Trump aligned”. His one-man-show confined to social media is typical keyboard warrior behavior which is not gaining traction within the community, to the point not even the Democratic candidates are trying his strategy.
Supervisor Thrower’s OG social media response is priceless:
“Yes! I’ve voted and we’re counting down until election night Over the last four years, the Dundee Township team stabilized our budget, allowing us to strategically plan for important capital projects; we successfully got the Mental Health Board up and running and have provided funding for mental health, addiction, and disability services for more than 900 residents; we’ve partnered with our Open Space volunteers and the Friends of Dundee Natural Areas to make sure our 1000 acres of open space lands are beautiful and thriving; and we’ve supported our most vulnerable residents who were facing eviction.
“So proud to be running with Ken Schaffer for Dundee Township Trustee, Debbie Brennan, Autumn Sheppard-Blandi, Richard Ahrens & Susan Romano. This is the team that is experienced, committed, and passionate about our community. Thanks for taking the time to vote and we’ll see you around town ”
Not to be outdone, another Dundee Township-based Democrat taking extremist shots at Supervisor Thrower is Dave Reece, 66. Here is his response to Thrower’s reply to Morganstein:
“Lol! ‘Stabilized’? You have cut the budget to where township government is nearly ineffective. The mission of township government is very limited and general, there is no ‘special project’ you could possibly provide.
“You cut the original proposed $1.5 million mental health budget to $500,000 before you appointed a full board, which it took you over 3 years to do. In 4 years you have cut budgets, staff and services, while wasting taxpayer money by hiring contractors to do basic tasks that could be done at a much lower expense by properly trained and equipped staff.
‘Stabilizing budgets’ is what inexperienced, political hacks say when they’re up for re-election and it’s clear they’ve been in way over their heads the last 4 years.”
Fact checks needed here on Reece’s response.
The original DTMHB budget adopted prior to the approval of the 2022 levy was $1,135,000, and I voted for its adoption in late 2022. Taking 3 years to appoint a full DTMHB?
Thrower was following the law, which required less than 2 years (July of 2022 through January of 2024) for her to appoint all 7 members of the DTMHB.
Another OG response from Thrower in response to Reece’s extremist and inaccurate facts:
“I understand that you are not satisfied with my time as Supervisor but I want to make sure the facts are shared with everyone.
“1. There was no money levied for mental health services before 2021 because the prior administration failed in so many ways and the County Clerk (and a judge) found the referendum improper [refer to Background information above]. Once the law was changed downstate, I led efforts to determine an appropriate levy amount. The board researched other mental health boards across the region, talked with the 708 Inc Mental Health Alliance, as well as local providers and first responders to help reach a budget of $500,000. We have levied that three years in a row and have a current fund balance of more than $600,000 (which will help us as we’re building capacity). Most importantly, we’ve directly served over 900 residents who needed help.
“2. Our Open Spaces are thriving and our volunteers are engaged and supportive in every way. Our staff is working with the Friends of Dundee Natural Areas to prioritize projects across the Township (including stream restoration, trails & more). I’m so thankful for these volunteers and my staff.
“3. I have been working professionally in local government for more than a decade. Not only am I highly qualified to lead the Township but I bring a positive energy to the teams I’ve been privileged to work with.
“4. I absolutely do not believe in taxing people just because you can. I do believe in looking at services and programs and budgets every year and seeing how we can improve. I have only added services and increased assistance to Township residents since my term began.
“My offer still stands to meet and talk about any concerns or ideas you may have. I believe we both want the very best for our community. Until we meet, I wish you well.”
On the “offer” Supervisor Thrower stated, it has been one she made to Reece and one he has not taken her up: to meet and discuss concerns and ideas about Dundee Township in person. Reece was offered to meet with the DTMHB administrative coordinator. He declined that offer, too.
Conclusions
Extremist elements, be they far left, far right, or far-out anything in between are dangerous in any political arena. Leading the DTMHB I’m vigilant to listen to all and implement centrist, mainstream policy. I’m thankful Dundee Township Supervisor Arin Thrower does the same.
I fully expect Supervisor Thrower to be reelected to a 2nd term on April 1 and all of the winners of the Dundee Township election will be sworn-in on May 19. The DTMHB and Dundee Township have thrived during Thrower’s 1st term and with additional legislation passed in 2024, mental health property tax levies are no longer bound to the tax cap, so the elected Township Board is not restricted to levying the full amount if the metrics of needs in Dundee Township merit increased funding up to the maximum approved by voters.
The DTMHB Annual Report adopted last month can be viewed here for reference.
Marc Avelar lives in Dundee Township and served as an elected trustee for the village of Algonquin in the late 1990s. In 2022, Avelar was appointed to the Dundee Township Mental Health Board & serves as president of the Board for the past 2 years. The opinions are his own.
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Avelar is also the person who first brought up the possibility of financing the McHenry County Mental Health 708 Board via a sales tax approved by voters. He did so during a public comment before the McHenry County Board.
