Candidates disagree on first countywide elected chairman responsibilities

For the first time, the McHenry County Board chairman will be chosen in a countywide election, and the two candidates vying for the Republican nomination disagree about the responsibilities of the position.

Incumbent Joe Gottemoller, 58, who was appointed by the board in 2014, will face challenger Michael Walkup, 66, in the March 15 primary. Both candidates are attorneys, Crystal Lake residents and District 3 board members.

In 2014, voters approved a referendum to create a 25th position on the board - a chair elected by popular vote for four-year terms.

But because of the county's size, the chair is not allowed to vote on issues at hand, even as a tiebreaker, unless he also holds a county board seat, as per state law.

That's why Walkup, whose term as county board member is up this year, is also seeking re-election for a District 3 seat.

"I feel that you need to be able to keep the present system, where the chairman of the board is also a member of the board so they can be fully involved," he said. "You've got to be up on all the issues, you've got to know how you're going to be voting on every issue. You're not just somebody chairing a meeting."

Gottemoller, on the other hand, said he would resign from his District 3 seat even though his term is not up until 2018. The vacant seat would be filled by appointment and a county board vote.

"I think it's important that somebody is allowed to represent the whole county and not be tied to a single district," he said.

In a deadlock, Gottemoller said he finds value in forcing the board to compromise, rather than having a chair make the final decision.

"I think you're much better off to send (an issue) back to the committee and have them work it out than you are to have somebody, no matter who it is, sit back there and try to sort out those ties," he said.

During the 2014 referendum, voters decided a chair who also serves as a board member would receive benefits and a salary not exceeding that of the chair position, which is roughly $80,000 annually.

If the chair holds an entirely separate position, Walkup said, the county would have to pay another board member a $20,000 salary.

Because the chair's responsibilities are loosely defined, Walkup also believes his or her salary should be reduced.

"The chairman is seriously overpaid," he said. "There's too much flexibility for the chairman to do as much or as little as they'd like and still get the same amount of money."

If elected chair, he added, he would "take the most hands-on approach," retire from his attorney position and devote all of his time to the job.

Gottemoller said he would not resign from his full-time job as an attorney, noting that he has been able to manage both positions over the past year.

In his experience, Gottemoller said, the chair position requires him to be on call constantly. He sits on several committees, attends meetings and talks to county staff members and department heads often. He receives phone calls and emails regarding county business daily.

"The county board chairman is the spokesman for the county," he said. "It's a job that's 24/7."