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March 28, 2024

McHenry County – Lord Franks – Republic or Kingdom?

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On August 25, 2017

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –

We were tipped off during a meeting in Springfield Wednesday afternoon about a special meeting that was called in McHenry County.  It was suggested we be there as we were assured County Chairman Jack Franks was going to show the board who was the boss.

From the second Franks walked into the room it was clear; he was “Lord” over his self-proclaimed kingdom.  He immediately instructed the County Administrator to remove a citizen from what was previously “press” seating.  Cal Skinner with McHenry County Blog was sitting there and Franks wanted him removed.  He instructed staff to get security and have him removed.  Never mind the fact there was no shortage of seats in the room.  He simply did not want that person sitting there because they had eliminated seating for the Press.

Huh, eliminate seating for the press?  Sounds much like what College of DuPage former President Breuder pulled.  We all know how that worked out.  Franks’ efforts were futile and the citizen blogger, the first to be considered “Media” by the Public Access Counselor, held his ground….and his seat.  It was rather comical to see a grown man turn red with frustration that he didn’t get his way on that matter.

He did get his way as far as the meeting went as it was clear there was not going to be a legal meeting since so many board members failed to show up.  Franks refused to answer our questions regarding him allegedly contacting board members and telling them not to come to the meeting.  Such a practice is a common form of intimidation by County Chairmen throughout the state.

Upon adjourning the Meeting, Franks stated he thinks we are violating the Open Meetings Act (12:55 Mark of the video). He went on to state “they can stay and break the law if they like, I like to follow the law.”  Oh are we ever going to have fun with that statement!

If you need to know why the State of Illinois is in the mess that it’s in, look no further.  Eighteen years as a legislator passing laws and he does not even understand the Open Meetings Act.  Did I mention he is also a lawyer?

For starters, I am not a member of that public body so to state; “I think you’re violating the Open Meetings Act”,  shows his ignorance on how the law is to be applied, as it does not apply to a citizen speaking to public officials.

In fact, my suggestion for the members to stay and listen to the citizens share their concerns is perfectly legal and does not place them in a position of violating the OMA.  In order for there to be a violation, those members who stayed would have had to meet two criteria.  A majority of a quorum present coupled with discussion of county business.  Pretty sad when an Eighteen year veteran of the House of Representatives doesn’t even comprehend the proper application of the Open Meetings Act.

It was very clear he was furious about anyone listening to what we had to share.  So much so that he wanted people charged!  At the 13:21 mark in the video he walks to the back of the room and tells a person standing there: “I’d like them to be charged”.

This behavior was that of a “Lord” attempting to wield power in his Kingdom. Thus the new nickname “Lord Franks”, and the question, are we a Republic or a Kingdom?

If he truly believed a violation of the Open Meetings Act was taking place he could have simply initiated a citizen arrest, just as we did against the Clark County Park District board several years ago.

The fact of the matter is, Lord Franks was not happy with elected officials exercising their rights to call a special meeting to address concerns of the public.  They did so because of Franks’ strong arm tactics to control all agendas and county business, which appears to include seeking out private businesses to lease county property, which has the potential of being a violation of the Illinois Constitution.  More on that later!

We will be covering quite a bit more on McHenry County as it became quite evident those running things have no clue what they are in charge of or what is allowed by law.

This new adventure will be fun!


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7 Comments
  • danni smith
    Posted at 21:55h, 25 August

    I thought McHenry was just a blue-collar community, too hayseed to be just another rivulet running from the swamp. I was wrong. Illinois is so poisoned it must die and become buried like re-koshering a traf utensil. The entire state is a tar pit. Although I note two very hunky powerhouses command respect.

  • Nice Work Dogs!
    Posted at 03:26h, 26 August

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  • Nice Work Dogs!
    Posted at 03:44h, 26 August

    Oh big man! The Chairman is trying (multiple times) to have a senior citizen who is part of the press ‘arrested’ for sitting in the press box that the Chairman had deemed obsolete in order to avoid having the press present to avoid transparency.

  • G. Barraclough
    Posted at 04:18h, 26 August

    If the McHenry County Board is ever short a member to constitute a quorum, would a remedy be to bring Iroquois County Board Member Larry Hasbargen up as a guest board member?

  • Warren J. Le Fever
    Posted at 11:35h, 26 August

    Seeing this I would never have dreamed that the chairman had been in the State Legislature and was a lawyer nor knew how to act with dignity. You might find this uneducated behavior in some very small backwater town or back road hick township board meeting; but a County Board meeting??? Oh, come on!

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 19:16h, 26 August

    Over the past couple of years, I attended county board meetings in Stephenson, Boone, Winnebago, Lake, DeKalb, Ogle, and McHenry and *by far*, the meeting in McHenry was the weirdest. One of the ladies with glasses (cannot remember her name) is straight up crazy and she makes Franks look competent. I have no idea how she got elected.

    I had a gall bladder removed and that was a less unpleasant experience than that county board meeting in McHenry County.

  • Anonymous
    Posted at 19:26h, 26 August

    P.S. I believe the McHenry County Board meeting had the most scrutiny with security searching everyone at the door.

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