McHenry County State’s Attorney’s report on Miller nails one issue for sure.

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –

As we said in our last article, there will be a long list of articles to come out of the 52-page report on Bob Miller’s behavior in public office.

In the closing remarks, State’s Attorney Kenneally provided a statement that we agree with and will point out why it is so accurate to this day and prove as much with examples, both past and present, of which none were part of his report. Our agreement is with the portion in bold below.

“Though not appropriately redressed through criminal charges, this report has plainly set forth spending and decision-making that do more than merely create an appearance of incompetence, guile, and impropriety. We believe, however, that these failures go beyond any individual and point to a larger, systemic breakdown.”

In this article, I outlined how Algonquin Township resources were basically given away by Miller to the benefit of the Cuba Township residents.  Such a practice was wrong and in that article, we pointed to a possible proper way of providing such services to neighboring communities.  It requires an Intergovernmental Agreement.

Turns out, according to Algonquin Township, there was no IGA between Cuba Township Road District for the providing of the services that were provided for free, nor the ones billed for. Miller knows quite well that an IGA is required for such a practice.

He did enter into an IGA with Cuba Township to sell them Algonquin Township property. This IGA, much like the sweeper IGA, points to legislative authority that clearly is not accurate because it makes no mention of selling equipment in the law cited.  That points to two problems.  A Road Commissioner that does as he pleases and an attorney that puts things on paper that has nothing to do with the transaction at hand.  The attorney that has allowed and participated in all this malfeasance should be terminated immediately.

Free dinner to anyone that can point to the statute they cited and find anything about selling equipment! (we pick the restaurant – LOL)  

(605 ILCS 5/6-201.10) (from Ch. 121, par. 6-201.10) 
    Sec. 6-201.10. Have authority to make agreements with the highway commissioner of any other road district or with the corporate authorities of any municipality located in the same county or in an adjoining county or with the county board of the county in which such road district is located or of any adjoining county, for the lease or exchange of idle machinery, equipment or tools belonging to the district, upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon. 
(Source: Laws 1959, p. 196.)

A current case that points to incompetence, guile, and impropriety:

The current Township Supervisor is in charge of General Assistance.  That program is governed by the Public Aid Act.  The May Township General Assitance bills reflected $500.00 in GIFT CARD purchases.  The General Assistance law found in the Public Aid Act is very clear and there is no provision for giving gift cards.  A reason you can’t give gift cards with General Assitance is that the law defines what is covered under that program.  By giving a gift card, the person can now go use it to purchase what they want, from cigarettes to liquor, or any other items sold at that store.

I contacted Circle K corporate and the local store listed on the receipt in Crystal Lake and they have confirmed, once those cards are purchased, anyone that has one can purchase anything they want as there is no way to restrict what can be purchased on the card.  Even if there was a way to restrict it, Circle K does not sell anything listed as a permitted expenditure of Public Aid money.

My requests for required documentation under the General Assitance program resulted in ZERO documentation.  Instead, they sent me the GA manual that TOI provides, which is NOT what I requested.  That tells us this welfare program is not being managed as the law requires.

If this person thinks giving gift cards away is proper, I suggest you find a new Supervisor.  As a side note, this is the same person who signed a contract to lease property without any board input or approval.  He needs to resign!

Another current case that points to incompetence, guile, and impropriety:

Every elected Official is required to fill out a Statement of Economic Interest document.  Filing false or incomplete document subjects that person to a year in a penal institution and/or a $1,000.00 fine according to our laws. Those documents have a perjury statement that when signed, confirms they are attesting to it being true and accurate.

They are not hard to fill out, yet Melissa Victor, a sitting Algonquin Township Trustee filed a false and incomplete SEI with the County Clerk in April of 2018. Under question number 7 it requires the listing of any other unit of government that employed the person filing the SEI.

Melissa Victor listed Algonquin Township Trustee.  She did not disclose her College of DuPage employment as required by law. According to COD pay records, she has worked there for several years.  In 2017 she was paid $33,068.87, which is confirmation of employment.    

If this person is not able to even follow the simplest of laws by properly filling out an SEI document, how can anyone expect her to follow other laws for the Township?

The State’s Attorney believes these types of failures go beyond any individual and point to a larger, systemic breakdown.  I disagree as it relates to the three examples provided as each and every one of those people are able to read.   If comprehension is the problem, they have no place in public office.

Having looked into more Township problems that I can count, we find the real problem is people are not reading the very laws they are bound to.

• Is there anyone that can’t comprehend the IGA citation provided above?  The word “sell” is not found anywhere.
• Is there anyone that honestly believes Gift Cards are an appropriate form of Public Aid under Township General Assistance?  We challenge them to provide the law that permits this. 
• Is there anyone that does not understand item #7 on the SEI?

These types of failures are tied directly to these people’s inability or unwillingness to even read and apply the information they are reading.

In this case, one bad apple is gone, I suggest you have no less than two more to go, three if you count the attorney!

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