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March 29, 2024

McHenry County – Jack Franks’ “political trinket” resolution conflicts with law.

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On August 20, 2018

McHenry Co. (ECWd) –

We covered McHenry County Chairman Jack Frankspolitical resolution in this article that would allow county board members to have “civic engagement” trinkets that have their name and information on it. The resolution outlines that such trinket expenditures can be reimbursed provided they are not for political or charitable purposes.

So the question becomes, who determines what is or is not a political or charitable purpose?

The resolution points to an affidavit being required that states such a purchase is for a public purpose.  That raises another question in light of all the illegal activities of spending in Algonquin Township.

Who determines what is or is not a public purpose?  

Just saying it is for a public purpose does not make it so.

We challenged Franks to provide any statutory authority in the County Code and to date no response.

The resolution is to adopt new language found in the Travel and Business expense policy that was revised just prior to a new law that went into effect January 1, 2017.  That law is specific as to what it applies to and how reimbursement is to take place for travel expenditures. We attempted to view the current county resolution cited for the amendment on the County website, R-200907-12-233, but found that it was not shown with all the other resolutions. So much for transparency.

Franks new resolution conflicts with the law in our opinion as it relates to the Local Government Travel Expense Control Act. 

Franks Travel and Business Expense Policy Resolution: Civic-Engagement Expenses

Law: Not one word in the County Code or the LGTECA cites “civic engagement” as an authorized expenditure of public funds.

Franks’ Resolution: Civic-engagement expenses may be made and are reimbursable provided they are not used for political purposes or as a charitable contribution.

Law: There is no provision for trinkets being a civic engagement item in the law. It appears Franks is trying to expand state law that specifically states in the LGTECA, “Travel means any expenditure directly incident to official travel by employees and officers of a local public agency or by wards or charges of a local public agency involving reimbursement to travelers or direct payment to private agencies providing transportation or related services.”

Trinkets with their name and information on it are in no way part of travel.

In fact, the LGTECA was adopted to identify what is a valid travel expense and makes no reference to “business” expense. The law provides for travel, meals, or lodging, not trinkets with their personal information on it.  We are pointing out the LGTECA because of the very title of the policy, “Travel and Business Expense Policy”

The County Code is also very clear on legal expenses and reimbursement.

 (55 ILCS 5/5-1018) (from Ch. 34, par. 5-1018) 
    Sec. 5-1018. Reimbursement for expenses; employment of personnel. A county board may reimburse the chairman and other members of the county board for travel and other expenses necessarily incurred while in the conduct of the business of the county. 

Handing out trinkets with the elected official’s name is not an expense that is necessary for them to conduct the business of the county.

May we suggest first a written legal opinion as to how trinkets with their information on it are necessary for the conducting of county business?

May we also suggest the first point to an actual law that gives them the power to take this action?

One can only wonder how a proclaimed fiscal conservative small government guy would push such a resolution in light of the law he lived under as a former State Representative.

(5 ILCS 430/5-20
    Sec. 5-20. Public service announcements; other promotional material
(b) The proper name or image of any executive branch constitutional officer or member of the General Assembly may not appear on any (i) bumper stickers, (ii) commercial billboards, (iii) lapel pins or buttons, (iv) magnets, (v) stickers, and (vi) other similar promotional items, that are not in furtherance of the person’s official State duties or governmental and public service functions, if designed, paid for, prepared, or distributed using public dollars.
(c) This Section does not apply to communications funded through expenditures required to be reported under Article 9 of the Election Code.

As a former State Representative, Franks was forbidden to use public funds for such trinkets if they were designed, paid for, prepared, or distributed using public dollars.  In fact, they made it clear the law would not apply if such expenditures required to be reported under the Election Code meaning he could only do it with campaign money, which is because we all know this is nothing more than a campaign token giveaway.

Why not have the same law apply to every unit of government?

I think we all see this resolution for what it is, an expense to the taxpayers that serves no public purpose.  It’s a means of self-promotion and we believe yet another expansion of government spending on the backs of a county already hit with out of control property tax issues.

Do the right thing, Chairman Franks, and withdraw this resolution.

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4 Comments
  • NiteCat
    Posted at 13:48h, 20 August

    I’m just dying to hear his definition of “civic” engagement.

  • Don't call me Francis
    Posted at 19:17h, 20 August

    Mr

  • Don't call me Francis
    Posted at 19:21h, 20 August

    Mr. Cut 10, hires two patronage hires, sidestepping board rules and NOW he wants us to pay for his election swag. GOOD LUCK!

  • Mike
    Posted at 18:01h, 17 September

    This resolution was apparently tabled and returned to committee.

    Here is a summary of the details.

    The proposed Resolution is located (as was previously mentioned somewhere) here in the August 21, 2018 Regular County Board Meeting Agenda Packet:

    16. Routine Consent Agenda > A. Finance & Audit > 7. 7. Resolution to Amend the Travel and Business Expense Policy Regarding Professional-Related Business Expenses to Include Civic Engagement Expenses.

    https://mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=4400&Inline=True

    https://mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Calendar.aspx

    The minutes from the August 21, 2018 Regular Board meeting are to be approved at the September 18, 2018 Regular County Board Meeting.

    The Agenda Packet for the September 18, 2018 currently includes:

    Minutes August 21, 2016 Regular County Board Meeting > 16. Routine Consent Agenda > 2. Approve the Following Recommendations > A. Finance & Audit > 7. 7029 pulled from Consent.

    That’s pdf page 18 of 684.

    Pdf page 19 of 684 provides more details.

    *ITEMS REMOVED FROM ROUTINE CONSENT AGENDA:

    7029 : 18 – 16.2 A7 Amend Travel and Business Expense Policy/Civic Engagement

    Mr. Gottemoller made a motion seconded by Mr. Kearns to return this back to committee.

    No specific date was given to return to County Board.

    RESULT: TABLED BY VOICE

    https://mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=4438&Inline=True

    https://mchenrycountyil.iqm2.com/Citizens/Calendar.aspx

    A taxpayer friendly resolution would be to prohibit using taxpayer funding to print a politicians name on anything but the business card of the officeholder, the unit of governments website, and any lists of office holders.

    And to prohibit distributing anything with the politicians name when the government is representing itself at an event.

    In other word, regardless of who paid for the items (for instance a PAC or the government), give away merchandise with the politician’s name printed on it cannot distributed at the government’s booth at a public event.

    For instance, pens, pencils, stickers, bumper stickers, frisbees, pins, coffee mugs, etc.

    That’s the general idea.

    Who other than a politician wants taxpayers dollars spent on such items.

    Nobody campaigns once elected they will spend taxpayer money on trinkets with their name to be distributed to the public events.

    The actual policy would have to be more specifically worded.

    Stop wasting taxpayer money for political gain.

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