House Bill 171 would increase the McHenry County Board chairman's powers, an increase Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) believes is not in the best interest of his constituents.
Reick said in a release that in 2012, McHenry County residents voted by a 2-1 ratio not to increase the County Board chairman’s powers and the bill, which passed both the House and Senate in mid-November and was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner, could lead to a county executive form of government for the county.
“When voters weigh in on an important measure at the ballot box, that should mean something,” Reick said in the release. “The signing of HB171 would directly circumvent the expressed will of the people who resoundingly said ‘no’ to a board leader with a great deal of individual power. My hope is that we will flood the governor’s office with signatures from those who want him to respect voter intent and veto the bill.”
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner
Reick wrote a letter to Rauner asking him to veto the bill. In the letter, Reick said the only way he would be comfortable with the passage of a bill like HB171 is if the residents of McHenry County agreed with the increase in power through a countywide vote.
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