Algonquin Township – Road District funds for political newsletter subscription

McHenry Co.  (ECWd) –

When we started the Edgar County Watchdogs our Board of Directors made it very clear that our agenda must be focused on compliance with the law and exposing those who violate it, regardless of political party.  We also agreed to never accept funding from people who they themselves had a political agenda and wished to use us as the means to get their message out.

Our goal was simple.  Help those who ask for help with fixing known problems within their local government.  At the time we had no idea this would become a full-time venture.  Illinois is a target rich environment when it comes to public corruption so rest assured there is no shortage of things to investigate and expose.

However, there is a shortage of State’s Attorneys who have the courage to step up and take on corruption within their own county.

While reviewing bills paid by the Algonquin Township Road District, one bill, ok hundreds, but for this article, one bill in particular, jumped out at us as we have written about this issue before on other public bodies.

In a time when most mainstream media is no longer trusted, we see more and more people turning to social media and other independent sources to get their news.  We have seen our viewer numbers almost doubling each year so we too understand people’s frustration with the media.

Former Algonquin Township Road Commissioner Bob Miller turned to “Ahead of our Time Publishing” by Rich Miller and his online blog newsletter, “Capital Fax”.

What public purpose does a private political publication provide to the taxpayers of Illinois?

What statutory authority does a Road District have to spend your hard earned tax dollars on a private political blogger publication?  (Note there are a lot of other subscriptions to talk about that Miller had that also have no public purpose or statutory authority)

Now I don’t fault Rich Miller for making money and creating a business with his Capital Fax publication, but how on earth can the Algonquin Township Road District justify spending Road District money on a political blogger subscription?

I wonder if the local McHenry County Blogger Cal Skinner could get away with charging his local public bodies for his news reporting?

And just about now all the naysayers are going to justify tax dollars for the local newspaper.  Guess what folks, it is not the taxpayers obligation to have their money spent on any publication, subscription, and/or memberships in associations that does not have statutory authority.  In a future article we will expose the illegal spending on memberships to orginazations by this same public body.

You can view the $500.00 bill below or download it here.

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