Save
our
Counties
STOP HB3317
HB3317
Dead?
The original bill was amended into a ridiculous McHenry County Appreciation day decree. I've left this page here as reference.
See it's new incarnation HB3596
Simply put, HB3317 neuters all elected County officials and conveys that power to the County Board Chair.
take action now!
If you approve of having just one, omnipotent ruler in your county, then do nothing. However, If you believe in the right of the people to elect their County Officers and Board members, and further believe that distributed power and representative government are the cornerstones of our great country, then spend a couple seconds to send the message that you disapprove of this ridiculous power grab of a bill!
1. Contact the lawmakers responsible for this bill and let them know you disapprove!
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2. Contact YOUR legislator and tell them to vote NO to HB3317.
3. Fill out a Witness Slip for the next meeting (when it is scheduled).​
4. Share with friends, family and others that are concerned about the political health of our communities.
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5. Fill in the "Get In Touch" form below to be alerted when situations change.
ABOUT THE BILL
(Excerpt) Allows the county board chairperson to: eliminate advisory committees or commissions; create standing committees and appoint members; set county board or committee meeting agendas; have line-item veto powers; and hire independent legal counsel or a parliamentarian or both; approve all appropriation expenditures before they are paid; reduce or divert moneys from a county fund with assets exceeding 150% of the previous year's expenditures on a ratable basis to taxpayers. Allows the county board to appoint an inspector general to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse. Provides that, on the effective date of the amendatory Act, the elected chairperson of the county board is a county office distinct from the county board. Terminates the office of county recorder and the office of the county auditor. Amends the Local Government Reduction and Efficiency Division of the Counties Code. Provides that a county board may prohibit or limit a unit of local government that it has proposed to consolidate from starting a capital program, building project, or land acquisition for a set period of time, not to exceed 2 years, while the county board pursues possible consolidation. Effective immediately.
TIMELINE
2012: The people of McHenry County overwhelmingly vote NO to a "County Executive" form of government.
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2/10/2019: News of the bill breaks in an article in the Northwest Herald titled "Future County Board Governor?"
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2/15/19: Bill is filed with the Clerk by Rep. David McSweeney
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2/19/2019: Rep Sam Yingling sends an email to Jack Franks saying, among other things, that he has no intention of passing the bill out of committee and that the revision will apply to the whole state. The bill's chief sponsor changes to Yingling.
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3/5/2019: Assigned to Counties and Townships committee and scheduled for the committee meeting to take place on 3/21/2019
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3/21/2019: HB3317 is passed out of committee despite 171 witness slips in opposition (3 in favor). Yingling forbids any testimony with no regard for the people there intending to speak.
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SAVE
OUR
COUNTIES
STOP HB3317
Unless you want your county run like our state, tell your legislators to vote NO on HB 3317!
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SaveOurCounties.com