McHenry Times

House approval of a bill that would allow voters to decide whether to dissolve a taxing district after a short debate in the chamber is not acceptable to Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock).

Reick issued his rebuke April 17 after the House had approved HB4637, a bill sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) that would allow voters in McHenry and Lake counties to vote on whether to dissolve road districts less than 15 miles in length. 

If you are going to purge property, the matter should be discussed with all involved, Reick said.

Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock)

McSweeney said he talked to almost everyone on the House floor about HB4637, but it was obvious he did not discuss it with some, including Reick, who questioned the short debate almost 20 minutes after the bill passed.

“In so far as this bill directly affects my county, the issue of short debate is very critical to a full discussion of what’s going on in McHenry County,” Reick said.

Without naming names, Reick said he objected to one of the representatives from McHenry County being unable to even speak on the bill and bring up legitimate concerns about its passage.

“I can’t object too strongly to the manner at which this bill was rammed through,” Reick said. “I am sorry, words fail me.”  

As for the time of the debate, McSweeney made it clear passing the bill to meet the deadline for the November ballot is a priority.

“All I am trying to do here is give citizens the ability to actually consolidate township government,” McSweeney said, noting he will not call any other township consolidation bills this session.

While Reick had an issue with the short debate, Rep. Al Riley (D-Olympia Fields) deliberated about similar district-friendly bills constantly coming before the House, questioning what made McSweeney’s bill any different from the many others.

“Right now, it is next to impossible to eliminate township government,” McSweeney said of the numerous petition signatures needed to get a referendum question on the ballot.

“I might disagree with you on the ease of getting rid of townships and road districts,” Riley said. “We have had a lot of pieces of legislation come up in the last few years doing just so.”

Riley concluded saying McSweeney’s bill begs the question.

Despite Riley’s objection, HB4637 moved to the Senate and the question of eliminating the road districts could be on the November ballot.