Latest Township Scandal
A major township scandal seems to be coming to a boil in Burton Township.
These happen periodically throughout Illinois. The biggest I remember was in Elgin Township, where the supervisor made off with hundreds of thousands. There was also something about illegality with a past Dundee Township road commissioner.
Now, big trouble for McHenry County’s tiniest township.
$159,000 is missing.
Burton Township is located in far northeastern McHenry County. For those in the eastern part of McHenry County, think of turning the area east of the Fox River into a separate township. That will give you an idea of the size of Burton Township.
A friend of the blog was at the meeting Thursday night. I wish the friend had sent me photos, but she did have some flavor to add to Northwest Herald reporter Jullian Compton’s quite competent story.
“People were lining up to get a glimpse of the names on the checks written by (former township supervisor) Suzanne Regnier. (The NW Herald) story says that some were written to herself and her children. $75,937.53 to herself and $83,135.81 to ‘third parties’ for a total of $159,073.34.”
There is an auditor’s report covering multiple years
Supervisor Regnier was the wife of recently-retired Spring Grove Police Chief Don Regnier. The Northwest Herald said she committed suicide.
Boy, what a position the ex-chief would have been in if he discovered what his wife supposedly did.
Regnier is the chief whose job former Spring Grove Village President Tom Sanders recently assumed.
More this weekend on McHenry County Blog, including legislators having fun on Sunday.
3 comments:
Once again it shows the total lack of need for Township Government. Other than to keep petty officials and friends of friends in a paying job, there is no need for township government in the 20th let alone the 21st century. Township assessors, township highway depts. Can not the County do this. Oh yes, the townships have to exists to cater to seniors and hand out govt. surplus cheese. Thats the reason.
Condolences to the husband but the fault, in addition to the actual perpetrator, lies with the inexcusable stupidity of Spring Grove residents and township supervisors who apparently did not demand any accounting controls on the disbursal of monies, such as a
SECOND SIGNATURE required on all checks disbursing township monies or the bank won't cash it.Helloo....
Another source of redress for the not very bright residents and elected officials of Spring Grove might be to take a look at the auditors who presumably had to certify that the township procedures met accepted standards. Auditors can be sued.
Remember Enron and Arthur Anderson.
Des Plaines Illinois has the same funny business as every other town. Some of the Alderman are realators selling homes in their ward. The Mayor of Des Plaines and some Alderman got ground floor pricing in new condos in the new TIF areas downtown. Now one Alderman Tom Becker of the 6th Ward was accused of interfering in the hiring of new Firefighters. The fun is in every town. We need the Feds to investigate. Ethics laws must be enforced, and more checks and balances. Publish more of the accounting.
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