Taking Power Away from Citizens in Township Government

I have been following Algonquin Township government since I was in college. In fact, my first public meeting was one on non-dedicated subdivision roads for Silver Lakes. The township used a law passed by State Rep. George Lindberg (R-Crystal Lake) … Continue reading

BGA Makes Email Pitch for Support for Bill to Allow Voters to Abolish McHenry County Townships

Here it is: McHenry County Residents Should Be Allowed To Dissolve Their Townships A bill in the Illinois legislature would allow McHenry County residents to dissolve their townships. Government consolidation is a key priority for the BGA and the bill … Continue reading

County Board Members Use Letter Against Township Abolition by Referendum Bill to Try to Scuttle Bill

Below is the letter that McHenry County Board member and former Grafton Township Supervisor Jim Kearns circulated among his colleagues. All signed it but Yvonne Barnes, Michael Rein and Craig Wilcox. The letter, addressed to the State Senate, was handed … Continue reading

Algonquin Township Board Cuts Gasser Legal Expenses from $250,000 to $150,000

When the budget for the Algonquin Township Road District was considered by the Township Board on Monday night, the Board voted 4-1 to reduce the line item for legal fees from $250,000 to $150,000. Trustee David Chapman made the reduction … Continue reading

Republican Leaders and County Board Put Pressure on Rauner to Veto McSweeney Township Abolish by Referendum Bill, If Passed

Comments are filtering out about what occurred at the handpicked and screened Republicans allowed to meet with Governor Bruce Rauner last Saturday. It is evident that at least GOP Chairman Diane Evertsen (whose husband was Hartland Township Supervisor) and County … Continue reading

McConnaughay Says She Supports Bill to Allow Voters to Abolish Townships by Referendum

A commenter to one of the articles about State Rep. David McSweeney’s bill that would allow voters to abolish their township by referendum suggested that McHenry County Senators were opposed to the legislation. Word has come from State Senator Karen … Continue reading

What Township Government Did To 2018 Real Estate Tax Bills

Here are the comparisons for taxes collected in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for McHenry County’s seventeen townships. In all, the townships cut the amount being taken out of our checkbooks by 3%. Each township has the cost of highway departments … Continue reading

TOI Paints County Government as the Enemy Abolition of Township Government by Referendum

The following email was sent to township officials by the Township Officials of Illinois last Wednesday from its statewide organization: Memorandum To:          Township Officials From:       Bryan E. Smith, Executive Director Date:        May 2, 2018 Re:           House Bill 4637 URGENT LEGISLTIVE … Continue reading

Real Estate Tax Bills Coming Monday

McHenry County Treasurer Glenda Miller mailed property tax bills on Friday. Since they didn’t come Saturday, I’m guessing they will arrive in most mailboxes Monday. McHenry County Blog will present some analysis, the first portion of which compares what categories … Continue reading

Rachael Lawrence, Treasurer of the McHenry County GOP & Algonquin Township Trustee, Supports Bill Allowing Townships to Be Abolished by Referendum

From Algonquin Township Trustee Rachael Lawrence, who was elected Treasurer of the McHenry County Republican Party without opposition last week, gives her views on State Rep. David McSweeney’s bill to allow voters to put referendums on the ballot to abolish … Continue reading

GOP County Chairman Diane Evertsen Comes Out Against Bill Allowing Voters to Abolish Townships

In a reverse twist on former McHenry County Republican Party Chairman Sandra Salgado’s push to consolidate townships, newly-elected Chairman Diane Evertsen has sent an email to some Precinct Committeemen calling for opposition to State Rep.David McSweeney’s bill to allow voters … Continue reading

How Motor Fuel Taxes Are Distributed to Local Governments

Tim Peters of the Illinois Department of Transportation writes that MFT funds are distributed to local agencies in the following breakdown: 49.10% goes to the municipalities – apportioned in proportion to population; 16.74% goes to the counties having a population … Continue reading

2017 McHenry County Townships’ Taxes and Spending

In yesterday’s article showing expenditures and revenues for McHenry Townships, McHenry Township was omitted. 2017 data for all seventeen townships are shown below, this time the difference has been calculated. The source is the Illinois State Comptroller’s web site. … Continue reading