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After lawsuit, McHenry County to rescind resolution supporting Rauner agenda

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Illinois

Gov. Bruce Rauner may have to turn Illinois around without the symbolic help of the McHenry County Board, which is settling a lawsuit prompted by its support of the governor’s agenda.

The County Board will vote next Tuesday to rescind its nonbinding 2015 resolution backing Rauner’s “Turnaround Agenda,” in exchange for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 dropping its lawsuit alleging that board members who met with Rauner prior to the vote violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act. While the county admits no wrongdoing in the resolution, the settlement includes paying the union $25,000 to cover its legal fees.

The lawsuit seeks to get the vote rescinded and the resolution declared null and void, and alleges that it had its origins in an illegal meeting. Local 150 filed the lawsuit about a week after the County Board voted April 9 to approve a resolution backing Rauner’s agenda to reverse Illinois’ increasingly desperate economic fortunes, which among other things would significantly curtail union collective bargaining laws.

That whole local government maneuver by Team Rauner was silly and counter-productive from the get-go. And now it’s ending with a whimper.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:13 pm

Comments

Hoooodogies that’s a spankin. 25k for a worthless stunt. Good job board members. I don’t know when your election is but I’d spruce up the resume because the voters are not likely to forget that.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:17 pm
“Hi, ck-

Madeupville is perplexed. So these votes are just a sham?

Hang in there.

Thanks!
ow”

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:18 pm
Mike Madigan and the McHenry County Board he controls win again.

Comment by The Captain Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:20 pm
$21,500/yr. Was it worth it?

Comment by blue dog dem Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:22 pm
If I were a citizen of McHenry County I’d be plenty angry about losing 25 grand in this boondoggle.

Comment by Stones Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:23 pm
“That whole local government maneuver by Team Rauner was silly and counter-productive from the get-go.” I think it was a “brilliant political move” in the mind of someone who really doesn’t understand politics.

Comment by CharlieKratos Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:24 pm
Will we see a “ck” email updating the total on Wednesday morning?

Comment by Man with a plan Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:27 pm
This proves that the TA is related directly to the current budget. McHenry County’s current budget.

Comment by Qui Tam Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:27 pm
It looks like they could have avoided all this pain if they would have just been compliant with the open meetings act.

Comment by siriusly Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:33 pm
Not so fast. They are apparently not giving up so quickly in Lincolnshire.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160413/news/160419445/

Comment by Team America Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:38 pm
Hi Rich!

We won’t be stopped by McHenry County or the Allegations of wrongdoing he controls.

best,

ck

Comment by Me too Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:42 pm
I guess we’ll see what the IPI’s legal team is capable of. If they lose both of the Lincolnshire cases, maybe municipalities will rethink of the value of free legal representation. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Comment by Man with a plan Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:43 pm
$25,000 of taxpayer money fighting an OMA violation? What a waste.

The reason for the OMA violation was to set up a nonbinding resolution supporting the Governor’s personal agenda? What a disgrace.

The County Board, as a whole, needs to polish their record before the next election. And the ones directly involved in the OMA violation need to apologize to the residents.

Comment by illini97 Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:45 pm
Lincolnshire will be an albatross around Comptroller Munger’s

Labor understands that of all the towns, cities, counties in Illinois, the hand picked Comptroller of Bruce Rauner, the hometown of this Rauner pick wants Right to Work Zones.

What to do? Send a message to Rauner? How?

Lincolnshire should drop the suit. Quietly. Now.

All Labor really needs is to ask…

“Your Labor position, Comptroller. Your home town wants Right to Work. Agree or disagree?”

Ugh.

It’s like stacking unavoidable obstacles in front of Munger, by her “friends”…

To the $25,000,

I mocked the Updates but we’d get here, but this situation stinks so badly, maybe this “lesson” will make other towns or counties “think twice” because being sneaky, is just being sneaky, it’s not smart.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Any push back on the union costing the county taxpayers $25,000 because they oppose a meaningless resolution?

Why do people fail to understand that lawsuits against government costs taxpayers money?

Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:47 pm
Ahoy, I think what you mean is politicians breaking laws cost taxpayers money. If the Board was innocent, I doubt they would settle, and taxpayers wouldn’t be on the hook. Don’t fault the group that calls them on their blunder.

Comment by Man with a plan Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:50 pm
If $25,000 is all the board ends up having to pay after this fiasco, they should consider themselves extremely lucky. The IMRF is going to want answers of their own from the board. Turnaround Agenda - the gift that keeps on giving.

Comment by Name Withheld Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:54 pm
In the Governor’s recent race against someone who challenged him, Governor Rauner’s opponent finished next to last
thanks
ck

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 2:57 pm
LOL! Wonder if Rauner will write them a check for $25,000 to cover the cost. That is hilarious.

Comment by Saluki Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:10 pm
Rockford also passed the Turnaround Resolution and is also defendant in an Open Meetings Suit filed by Local 150. Between McHenry, Rockford, and Lincolnshire, there might not be a lot of municipalities left who can afford to be friends with Rauner.

Comment by Man with a plan Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:14 pm
Holy Toledo! What an incompetent bunch of goofs!

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:23 pm
Comptroller Munger, if you have any friends on the Lincolnshire village board, I suggest you get on the phone and call them. Ask, no TELL them to drop this silly RTW (for less) stuff.

Lessons should have been learned from the March Primary (Dunkin & McCann). One was a loser for standing with Rauner and the other a winner for standing up to Rauner.

Comment by Union Leader Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:26 pm
Another big win for our esteemed Governor. Having a great week aren’t you Bruce!

Comment by Cash B. Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 3:54 pm
Ahoy! - “Any push back on the union costing the county taxpayers $25,000 because they oppose a meaningless resolution?”

This doesn’t qualify as push back, but it’s just another thing the residents of McHenry need to address after the McHenry County board placed themselves into the unfavorable glare of the spotlight.

Seems the McHenry county board members were receiving pensions for which they were not qualified due to a lack of hours worked.

Do McHenry County Board members work enough to earn state pensions?

http://m.nwherald.com/2016/02/29/do-mchenry-county-board-members-work-enough-to-earn-state-pensions/awbzcl5/

Comment by Chicago 20 Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:05 pm
Does this cover union legal fees too?

Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:06 pm
Message to Rauner: Finding people who can be bought is not helping you and your agenda.

Comment by Casual observer Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:11 pm
It actually was quite productive for those that oppose Rauner since it provided evidence that he had No mandate.

Comment by A Jack Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 4:16 pm
LOL. Ahoy wants to blame the Union for the county board blatantly violating the law? Some people really do only see what they want to see.

Comment by AlabamaShake Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 5:03 pm
Why hasn’t Rauner stepped up to personally offer to pay the $25K?

He has more money than McHenry County, and it was his meeting.

Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 6:11 pm
If the McHenry county board was in violation of the open meetings act, wasn’t rauner also, since they met with him?

Comment by Property of IDOC Thursday, Apr 14, 16 @ 10:20 pm
im a day late

look how much rauners agenda saved the locals…. negative 25000

Comment by Ghost Friday, Apr 15, 16 @ 8:10 am