McHenry County chairman voices displeasure with Springfield

With a little Bob Dylan and a lot of finger-pointing at Springfield, McHenry County Board Chairman Ken Koehler gave his annual state of the county address on Tuesday.

The redistricting process and the November election will bring change within the county board in 2010, Koehler said while referencing Dylan's song, “The Times They Are A-Changin'.”

The county continues to feel the effects of the economic downturn, with cuts to almost all areas of government and 50 fewer positions funded compared to three years ago, Koehler said. However, the county continues to maintain a AAA bond rating and its finances are solid, he said. The county-owned Valley Hi Nursing Home in Woodstock had an end-of-year surplus of $86,000, the first in recent history.

“Very recently, it has been suggested that (those in) Springfield should be the ones to dictate how effectively to manage local governments when their own financial house is definitely in disarray. I totally do not understand it,” he said.

This year, the McHenry County Board implemented a budget task force that will meet monthly starting Friday through May, with the goal of giving administrators direction in developing the county's 2013 budget.

Several projects led by the McHenry County Department of Transportation are on track to begin this year, including construction of the so-called Western Bypass of Route 31 in downtown Algonquin, Koehler said. The department is accepting public comment through Feb. 23 regarding the proposed plan for Randall Road between Ackman and County Line roads.

The construction project inside the McHenry County Government Center is “essentially complete,” Koehler said. It included a courtroom, two judge's chambers and a holding cell, plus various upgrades. This year, the county will continue working on its unified development ordinance, whose first draft was received Dec. 15.

This was Koehler's eighth state of the county address.