McHenry County Democrats Attack County Deficit That Does Not Exist

Here is rhe yard sign, which also is appearing on electronic billboard:

Good issue, if it were true.

And I guess it’s a good issue even though it is demonstrably false.

Yes, the budget presented by the bureaucrats had a $7 million hole.

But, unaccounted for was $5 million in earned interest sitting in the bank.

And, the RTA Sales Tax, which state law says can be spent on transportation or law enforcement. $1.4 million available there.

$500,000 in unaccounted for sales tax.

Plus $500,000 available from Valley Hi, the county nursing home for overcharges by the county for administrative services.

Plus $400,000 that the GIS Department did not need.

Plus $400,000 for housing Lake County inmates. Remember, it was Democrats who are responsible for our losing $7 miilion in revenue for housing detainees brought by ICE.)

Plus $315,000 in court fees. (When I was County Treasurer in the late 1960’s, I remember having to remind Circuit Clerk Margaret O’Neil that the money she collected really should be turned over to the treasury.)

I don’t know about you but I find those million dollar plus roundabouts are usually a waste of money. (Exception: the roundabout in Woodstock near the one-lane underpass of the railroad tracks.)

Plus $103,000 from the Emergency Telephone System Board.

Plus $50,000 from the Hotel/Motel taxes.

= = = = =

Now, let’s consider why the appointed staff somehow forgot that this money was siitting out there

And had to be brought up by County Board members.

My favorite course in grad school at the University of Michigan was organization theory

One of my key takeaways was that bureaucrats protect themselves.

Let me give you an example from the late 1970’s when the state had a budget crunch.

Governor Jim Thompson ordered cuts.

At the time, McHenry County ran a foster child placement operation out of the Probation Department.

When cuts were necessary DCFS Director Greg Coler didn ‘t cut his bureaucracy;

Oh, no.

One of his cuts was to eliminate McHenry County’s very successful foster child program.

Another example: I have a relative in the Federal bureauacracy.

When the end of the Fiscal Year approaches, the managers search for purchases to make so their agency will not have leftover money that either the Office of Management and Budget or Congess will axe.

Lte’s bring this home to McHenry County.

If the recommendations of the administration had been carried out (spurred on by the spurious “deficit”), next year’s budget would have been easier to craft.

Now it will take more effort to please what I hope will continue to be a more or less fiscally conservative County Board.