Barb Wheeler Has Well-Attended Nunda Fundraiser

July 17, 2010

By: Cal Skinner

Around the pool off Oak Ridge Road, McHenry County Board member Barb Wheeler had a well-attended fundraiser Saturday afternoon. Labeled a “Teeni Weeni Bikini Martini Pool Party," it lasted into the evening. There were musicians from Florida playing beach music as guests talked around the pool in the middle of the woods. Barb Wheeler herself greeted me as I came down the stairs from the driveway. I had passed Geri Davis and John Landon on the way in.

I saw all sorts of political types, plus many whom I had never seen before. I figure that was a good sign Wheeler was reaching out. Of course, some of the regulars attended. 8th Congressional District GOP candidate Joe Walsh chatted with long-time Republican activist Dave Fredericks. Jack Franks’ Republican opponent John O’Neill worked the crowd. His wife Basia and the six kids were seen also. Winning the man-mile award was former McHenry County State’s Attorney Gary Pack, who came all the way from the panhandle of Florida. Former State Representative Rosemary Kurtz and District 47 School Board member Nancy Gonsiorek were among the notables in attendance. Former 8th District GOP primary candidate Kirk Beveridge, Sue Serdar and Shelia Morgan got together. But it was Barb Wheeler’s day.

 

McHenry County Achieves Aaa Bond Rating

April 2010

WOODSTOCK, IL – McHenry County is proud to announce an improvement in its debt rating to Aaa by Moody’s Investors Service. The Aaa rating (the highest rating available) will allow McHenry County to issue debt at the lowest possible interest rate as the organization has proven itself to be among the top tier of local governments in terms of financial strength both in Illinois and nationally. With the migration of Moody’s to the Global Ratings Scale (GSR) McHenry County was the only county of 102 counties in the State of Illinois to have its rating improved to a Aaa status, making it one of three counties in the State of Illinois sharing the honor (DuPage and Lake Counties are also rated Aaa). McHenry County has been striving to reach Aaa rating since being identified as an organizational goal in its strategic plan in the early 2000’s.

Moody’s issued the County’s first bond rating in 2002 at Aa3, then upgraded the County in 2003 to a Aa2, and adjusted the County in September of 2006 to a Aa2+. In June 2007, the County’s credit was upgraded to a Aa1 rating. “The County and its financial stakeholders were well positioned for this distinction. We established solid financial controls and healthy operating reserves using financial modeling tools and prudent fiscal management,”stated Finance and Audit Chairman Marc Munaretto.

The McHenry County financial policy is based upon the lessons McHenry County has learned from its past. A decade ago the County was in financial distress, having to reduce budgets by 15% across the board. In reaction to this difficult financial time for the County, the McHenry County Board instituted a strong budget policy, debt policy and cash reserve policy in the early 2000’s. To this day the County Board adheres to these policies faithfully. McHenry County has maintained a five month cash reserve since fiscal year 2004 and has ended every fiscal year since including fiscal year 2009 adding to the reserve. By growing the reserves and not utilizing them when the economy is struggling, the County has demonstrated strong, consistent financial control to Moody’s Investors Service. With each new debt issuance, the County has proven its ability to continue strong financial management.

 

____________________________________

 

January 2010

A letter to the Editor in the Northwest Herald's 1/20/10 edition from Andrew Costigan stated, in part:

"County Board Member Barb Wheeler supported and endorsed the $15 million open space to raise Nunda Township taxes." "Wheeler voted against video gambling." "State Sen. Pam Altholff and State Rep. Mike Tryon asked the board not to vote against the video gambling bill until the board had all the facts."

 

Following are replies to Costigan's letter posted on the Northwest Herald's web site.

The BlackKnight wrote on January 20, 2010 7:08 a.m.

"If I were in this district, this letter would have convinced me to vote for Barb Wheeler. Thanks. Why is it wrong to buck Tryon and Althoff? I think that is in her favor."
barbarawheeler2010 wrote on January 20, 2010 7:14 a.m.
"Setting aside money to preserve sensitive areas critical to our groundwater recharge is consistent with the county plans to protect our only viable water source. Voting against video gambling as a funding source for government projects and doing it against the pressure of the party leadership is an example of my convictions and independence. Government projects like the proposed mental health administrative building (see front page today!) further demonstrate my commitment to fiscal responsibility. I am concerned for the health and quality of life of the citizens of McHenry County and I am proud of my record. www.BarbaraWheeler2010.com"
charles eu wrote on January 20, 2010 8:26 a.m.
"video gambling would be supported by the lower income taxpayers. those are the people who have little money to lose. the middle man in the video gamiing business will make the most money while the state cut will be small. gambling money to support the state may not be a good solution. i believe it shows good thinking to vote against it. a tax across the board would be a better choice."
illuminati wrote on January 20, 2010 9:08 a.m.
"A tax, whether across the board or not, is NEVER a better choice. Government needs to get it's hand out of our pockets rather then digging into them deeper. Dramatic cuts at all levels along with reductions in government salaries must be the first option before ANY tax increase should ever be considered. It is well beyond enough is enough already. "
HW wrote on January 20, 2010 9:25 a.m.
""video gambling would be supported by the lower income taxpayers" This is not substaniated by data. If uou don't like voluntary contributions to the state treasury, how do you want to fund things? A tax across the board... Yes that sounds like a good time. But a tax on what? Income? Property? Sales of goods or services? Head tax? How 'across the board' you looking at? "
Report
ManColter wrote on January 20, 2010 9:54 a.m.
"I am ALL FOR "Voluntary contributions" to the public coffers!!"
RABELAIS wrote on January 20, 2010 10:08 a.m.
"It's pretty clear that whoever wrote this letter has no clue about how effective a County Board member Barb Wheeler is. If you prefer someone who will vote just the way they are told to, or who doesn't like the facts to get in the way of a set way of thinking on single issues, then you don't want someone as smart and independent and hard-working as Barbara Wheeler in office. Too bad there isn't a test to screen such poorly informed voters."
StanP wrote on January 20, 2010 1:16 p.m.
"Although I don't particularly like paying taxes and would normally be opposed to tax increases, this philosophy needs to be balanced against the potential benefits of a specific tax proposal. The open space acquistion tax is one of those rare taxes that actually saves money. Open space saves money for local government vs. developed land which requires infrastructure costs of roads, schools, police/fire, water/sewer, etc. Too bad the referenda failed because not enough voters understood the nuances of this exceptional opportunity. Short-term minor tax increase yielding long-term taxpayer savings. I applaud Barbara Wheeler for having supported the referenda."
GerryWalsh wrote on January 20, 2010 2:38 p.m.
"We know the Open Space Plan (if completely implemented) will cost up to $61,000,000 according to the Plan report. What was not documented was any sort of savings. The proponents have given no evidence of savings, not even estimated savings. Ironically, the proponents were found guilty of state campaign finance laws. Who in their right mind would accept financial advice from violators of campaign finance laws?"
GoodCitizen wrote on January 20, 2010 2:38 p.m.
"The Illinois State Lottery was implemented to help fund schools with its proceeds. Can anyone out there honestly say that this is happening? Our taxes keep going up despite huge liquor taxes, gas taxes, lottery, and cigarette taxes. Video gambling is nothing more than a scam for some political brother-in-law to pocket some dough."
barbarawheeler2010 wrote on January 20, 2010 3:48 p.m.
"Mr. Walsh, please do not imply that I was found guilty of state campaign finance laws. It is a false implication, and I ask that you retract your statement. "
GerryWalsh wrote on January 20, 2010 4:10 p.m.
"Clarification: Nunda Neighbors for Open Space, a registered Illinois PAC and the main proponent for the Open Space tax increase, was found guilty of campaign finance violations by the State Board of Elections. Ironically, the President/Treasurer is Lori McConville, who is running for the County Board as a Democrat. These 100 word limits have their disadvantages."
60010.. wrote on January 20, 2010 6:35 p.m.
"Just by the fact that Ms. Wheeler voluntarily filled out the Conflicts Disclosure Ordinance, I know she is one of the few incumbents that people should vote for. She has been a voice of reason against the sprawl that some County Board members seem to treasure. Mr. Walsh, please crawl back under your rock, and stop slinging mud. "
Stopthemadness wrote on January 20, 2010 9:55 p.m.
"So let me get this straight Andy; Barb Wheeler wanted to ensure open space in an increasingly congested Nunda Township, voted against video poker machines in bars and taverns in McHenry County, and is not in the hip pocket of Althoff and Tyron; and you don't support her? So you would prefer a yes man who has a problem with parks and recreation and likes to spend time in a bar playing video poker at the expense of his/her family to support the State's bad debts. Odd."

 

McHenry Co. moves mental health board expansion forward

1/20/10

By Charles Keeshan | Daily Herald Staff

County Board member Barbara Wheeler....."It's just a really bad time to see government wanting to expand."

A controversial addition to the McHenry County Mental Health Board's Crystal Lake headquarters is closer to reality after county board members Tuesday cleared another obstacle to its funding. The county board voted 13-8 in favor of a deal obligating the mental health board to reimburse it for a proposed $4 million bond issue to pay for the planned 22,000-square-foot, two-story addition, a project that's divided many in the county's community of social service agencies. The decision sets up another vote, likely in March, at which the board will be asked to issue the $4 million in bonds authorized through the federal economic stimulus package, then turn the money over to the mental health board for the addition. The mental health board intends to repay the bonds through money that will come available once it finishes paying off the debt on its existing Dakota Street building.

Opponents of the measure say that the mental health board can find far better uses for $4 million than expanding its own size, especially when the state is cutting assistance to agencies that assist the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. "Tax dollars will have to be directed to bond repayment and the expense of services," said Susan Krause, executive director of the McHenry County Youth Service Bureau. "What are our priorities here?"

Supporters, however, say using the federal bonding authority made available to the county allows the agency to add much-needed space at an interest rate that will ultimately save taxpayers a significant amount of money. Mental health board President Don Larson said issue isn't so much whether the addition will happen - the board has already agreed to it - but whether it will do it at a lower cost.
"This is about whether we build with a (interest) rate that is very reasonable or whether we build with a bank loan that is going to cost us more," he said. "This building is coming."

Like many in the mental health community, county board members were split Tuesday between taking advantage of the opportunity for low-interest funding and whether a larger building is the mental health board's biggest need. County Board member Barbara Wheeler fell into the latter group. "It's just a really bad time to see government wanting to expand," she said. Expansion: Some say there are better uses for bond money.

 

Health board proposal advances

1/20/2010

By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com

But Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake, said that “growing government and creating large buildings” was not a viable plan to stimulate the economy.

WOODSTOCK – A controversial proposal to expand the McHenry County Mental Health Board building inched a bit more forward Tuesday. The McHenry County Board voted, 13-8, to approve a resolution requiring the agency to reimburse the County Board if it decides to issue $4 million in bonds for the proposed 22,000-square-foot expansion. The County Board must approve an intergovernmental agreement to officially greenlight the project, which could happen next month. But that did not stop supporters and opponents from sounding off Tuesday evening on the expansion, which has split the agencies that receive mental health board funding. Supporters said expanding the building was vital for the mental health board to better provide services and meeting space for agencies. “I think it’s greatly needed, and I think this is the time to do it,” National Alliance on Mental Illness of McHenry County member Susan Ling said.

 

Opponents asked the County Board to stop the project, stating that the money, in a bad economy marked by state funding cuts, was better spent on the 22 agencies that receive mental health board funding. Both the McHenry County Youth Service Bureau and Pioneer Center for Human Services asked the board not to move ahead. If approved, the expansion would be paid for through bonding authority allocated to the County Board under federal economic stimulus legislation. The bonds encourage lending by giving investors a significant refund of the federal taxes payable on them, which in turn lowers interest rates. The County Board received $18.3 million in federal bonding authority for government projects, and have allocated all of it but the $4 million that it set aside for the mental health board.

 

Mental Health Board officials said they needed the space – the agency moved in 2003 to its present 8,067-square-foot location at 620 Dakota St. in Crystal Lake but filled it within two years. The agency now rents an additional 10,000 square feet in McHenry. Pioneer board member and County Board candidate Richard Draper, one of the plan’s loudest critics, said the mental health board had far overstepped its mission to fund services through a property tax levy. Mental Health Board Executive Director Sandy Lewis later said that the agency was well within its powers under state law, an opinion shared by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office. County Board members briefly debated the merits of the project before the vote. Mary Donner, R-Crystal Lake, said the expansion was needed to serve the county’s growing population. Donner is the body’s liaison to the mental health board.

 

But Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake, said that “growing government and creating large buildings” was not a viable plan to stimulate the economy. She pointed out that the County Board’s building plans, such as new buildings for the sheriff’s office and health department, had been put on hold in the recession. “It’s just a really bad time to want to see government expand,” Wheeler said. more

 

Housing panel on way

1/7/2010

By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com

The McHenry County Board formally approved creating a county housing commission to explore ways to make housing more accessible and affordable. Board members voted Tuesday, 21-1, to create the commission. The idea stemmed from a 2008 report concluding that a sizable portion of the county’s population lacks affordable housing, meaning that home owners and renters spend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs. And the closing argument to many supporters of the commission, such as Corporation for Affordable Homes for McHenry County Executive Director Mary Lu Seidel, is the rate of foreclosures caused by the bursting of the housing bubble. “I think that certainly helps a lot more people see how vulnerable our housing is, not just in McHenry County, but nationwide,” Seidel said Wednesday.

Seidel and representatives from the McHenry County Housing Authority, Turning Point and the McHenry County Association of Realtors spoke in support of the commission before the vote. Tuesday’s vote will create an advisory commission of seven to 13 voting members, representing government, real estate and economic development groups, as well as members of the public. The resolution gives the commission two years to develop plans to be reviewed by the County Board.

The 2008 study by the Heartland Mid-America Institute on Poverty concluded that one county homeowner in three, and more than half of renters, do not have affordable housing. It also concluded that one household in three earns less than the $50,000 that the study’s authors estimated that it takes to make ends meet in McHenry County.

The study prompted several County Board members and representatives of like-minded groups to begin meeting monthly to discuss the issue. County Board member Barbara Wheeler, who helped assemble the group, applauded Tuesday’s vote. “I’m very happy with the outcome, and the overwhelming support for the commission,” Wheeler said. “The overwhelming support comes not just from the County Board, but from the public.” more

 

McHenry County Board hopefuls debate roads

1/6/2010

By Jameel Naqvi, Daily Herald Staff

Transportation is a perennial issue in McHenry County Board elections, and this year is no exception.

Nearly all of the eight Republicans seeking election from Districts 3 or 5 said transportation is among the top issues facing the county in 2010 and key to the area's economic growth. But whereas current and former board members pointed to the road fixes they pushed while in office, challengers said the county could do a better job of addressing issues like traffic lights and speed limits on rural roads.

Five candidates are seeking two 4-year terms in District 3, while three hopefuls are vying for two 4-year seats in District 5. They will only actually serve two years because of redistricting in 2012.

In a Daily Herald endorsement interview, board critic and District 5 challenger David Frederick of Woodstock lashed out at the county for not posting and enforcing what he believes are reasonable speed limits on country roads.

 

"Only the county board can post safe and reasonable speed limits, and they have done nothing for the past ten years while 45 more teenagers have been killed," Frederick wrote in a candidate questionnaire. But former board member Nick Provenzano, who is seeking to recapture a District 3 seat he lost in 2008, said the county must conduct a traffic study before posting new limits. "I'm all for doing a traffic study ... and determining a reasonable speed for (rural roads)," Provenzano, of McHenry, said. "But to just arbitrarily break the state statutes and put signs up I think is ridiculous."

 

District 3 challenger Craig Steagall, however, suggested the county board act on its own if the Illinois Department of Transportation is reluctant to address the issue. "I'm not promoting civil disobedience, but if it's in the taxpayer's interest, let's cause a little bit of a dust-up and ... get out there and get involved in it," the Crystal Lake resident said.

 

District 3 incumbent Barbara Wheeler, also a Crystal Lake resident, has asked the county board to review its speed limit policy. "I am in agreement that in certain areas, common sense needs to take over," Wheeler said this week. "We can tweak the policy so it's not so cumbersome for the county board to submit a change for speed limits." more

 

Video poker? Not here.

12/14/09

CHICAGO TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
If your county or community is on the first of these two lists, congratulations. Your local officials have "opted out" of legalized video gambling. They have declared their disgust with the Illinois legislature's decision to bankroll a $31 billion capital improvements bill in part by luring more people into neighborhood gambling. These communities have said: Go somewhere else.

If your county or community isn't on the first list, get cracking. Call your local council members, your county board solons, anybody and everybody who can get your jurisdiction to opt out, too. The list of opt-out local governments now stands at 50, according to the Illinois Gaming Board. An additional 14 -- that's the second list below -- are considering opt-outs. Note that county board opt-outs are powerful statements but apply only to unincorporated areas, not municipalities. more…

 

County eyes housing costs

12/04/09

By KEVIN P. CRAVER - kcraver@nwherald.com
McHenry County officials in September 2008 received a report confirming the conventional wisdom that affordable housing in the county is hard to find. That month, the circuit clerk recorded 228 foreclosure filings, at the time the largest monthly total since at least 2000. The situation has not improved – a record 282 foreclosures were filed in the county in September 2009.

It is against this backdrop that the county is seeking to create a housing commission to address the need for more diverse housing opportunities. more…

 

McHenry County moves to create more affordable housing

12/02/09

By Charles Keeshan - Daily Herald Staff
Last year, McHenry County leaders received a stunning report on the lack of affordable housing within their communities. On Tuesday, they moved a step closer to doing something about it. County board members placed an ordinance creating the McHenry County Housing Commission under a required 30-day review, setting up a vote to authorize the panel in early 2010. more…

 

Beveridge announces his campaign to unseat Bean

11/13/09

By BRETT ROWLAND - browland@nwherald.com
BARRINGTON – Dirk Beveridge has launched his campaign to unseat Congresswomen Melissa Bean, D-Ill., in the 8th Congressional District. Beveridge, 48, of Barrington, joins a crowded field of Republicans vying for the chance to challenge the incumbent Democrat. more…

 

Barbara Wheeler at Beveridge Rally.