I chose not to use the vernacular that came to mind for a headline when I discovered an additional $100,,000 that was provided by the McHenry County Conservation Foundation to increase the operating rate of the McHenry County Conservation District by one-third.
The information had been available since the Vote Yes for the McHenry County Conservation District Proposition second quarterly report to the State Board of Elections in July.
Bad reporting on my part.
I didn’t look back far enough.
I only looked at the July through September figures where I found $50,000.
It’s too late to influence many, if any, voters, but today I report on the over $200,000 campaign to raise the Conservation District’s operating tax rate by 33%–ten times the increase that the Property Tax Cap would allow.
$150,000 came from the Foundation, which was financed in the late 1990’s with a million dollars that should have gone to the treasury of the Conservation District, but, instead, was diverted to. at the time the court order was entered, this still unnamed foundation. It ended up being controlled by past members of the MCCD Board.
Since then two over fifty million dollar land purchase bond issues have been financed from investing that $1,000,000.
This third tax hike referendum is the most expensive by far.
The tax hikers are spending more money than any candidate running for McHenry County office.
- From the local foundation – $150,000
- From Chicago-based Openlands – $25,000 in cash and $3,478.50 for the salary of Chicago resident Emily Reusswig
- From Chicago-based Trust for Public Land – $16,255.18 for the salary of Tallahassee resident Will Abberge
From individuals – only $5,000
- $2,500 from Christopher Burke of Naperville of Christopher Burke Engineering firm
- $500 from John Drummond and Rommy Lopat of Lake Forest
- $2,000 from Hugh and Marlene Frisbie of Woodstock
From Chicago-based Trust for Public Land – $5,000
The total amount raised to hike taxes: $204,727.68.
Below are the mailings made by the Vote Yes Political Action Committee:
The first is the biggest one.
This one is smaller.
The third mailing was paid directly from tax dollars in the coffers of the Conservation District.
This is the only one that made my mailbox.
But, that’s not all. There was also a walk card, financed by the $204,000 Vote Yes campaign which is below:
The Opponents to the 33% Conservation District Tax Hike
The McHenry County Libertarian Party was the first to step up to the plate.’
Membes gathered at my home to paint “Vote No” on repurposed signs.
Kelly and Adam Liebman took the signs at the top of the screen home to paint “No” under the word “Vote” already on the smaller signs.
Rooting around in my garage I found a box of 100-200 cardboard “Vote No Tax Referendum” yard signs which I made ready for posting by inserting GOP signs that said “Vote Yes” for the mental health referendum this spring.
Next I was invited to the Grafton and Algonquin Republican Central Committee meetings, plus the County GOP’s Executive Committee meeting to give my reasons for opposing the Conservation District referendum.
Commitments were made to spend about $2,000 for more yard signs and four by four foot signs saying, “Vote No Tax Referendum.” I don’t think the red is red enough on the copies.
Objection was made to just using “Vote No,” because Republican judges were being voted upon on Yes/No retention ballots.
Tonight we’ll learn if this 1000 to 1 financial advantage by the tax hikers will be enough to defeat “Vote No” sign effort.
