New coroner takes office in McHenry County

One new face joined the ranks of McHenry County's countywide elected office holders Tuesday as Coroner Michael Rein was sworn in along with three returning officials.

It was a busy first day filled with calls to various county departments to get up to speed on how the coroner's office fits within the larger system of county government, Rein said.

"We're working diligently to make sure that everything is going to be a smooth transition," he said.

Rein will take over from McHenry County Sheriff's Lt. John Miller, who has been filling in as interim coroner with the help of Sheriff Bill Prim.

The office has remained unfilled since former McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski retired in March 2019. Majewski received criticism for her handling of the office after a third-party evaluation was conducted in September 2019.

In an interview Tuesday, County Administrator Peter Austin thanked Miller and Prim for their hard work and willingness to temporarily oversee the coroner's office, adding he feels they left the office in good shape for Rein to step in.

"We're looking forward. We're not looking back at the past," Rein said.

His first priority is to bring the office up to par to be eligible for an accreditation with the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners by "upgrading our operating systems" and "standardizing protocols," he said.

In a September interview with the Northwest Herald's editorial board, Rein, then a candidate, said he did not plan on taking the pension offered to county coroners if elected.

When asked whether he still plans to decline the pension, Rein said Tuesday he was undecided and will continue to look over his options.

McHenry County Board members and the board chairman are the only county elected officials who do not begin their terms Dec. 1. They will be sworn in Dec. 7.

The other incumbent county officials who began new terms Tuesday include Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Keefe, County Auditor Shannon Teresi and McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally.

As circuit court clerk, Keefe maintains the records and collects fines and fees for the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court in McHenry County.

"(Keefe) is an absolute star in my mind," Austin said. "As we've tried to control our costs over the years, (Keefe) has been a leader in automation and innovation and she's really helped us a lot."

As the state's attorney, Kenneally has been a good resource to county staff and elected officials through the years, Austin said.

"The state's attorney's office works hard to make sure that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed for all the contracts and legal questions that we have in my office and in the other departments," he said.

As county auditor, Teresi is tasked with watching over county funds and keeping records of all receipts, disbursements and funds balances for all departments.

"She is a good extra set of eyes in watching over what our finance department does," Austin said. "We're lucky to have (Teresi) on our team here."