Algonquin Township Employee Fired

ALGONQUIN, IL – A 23-year-old Algonquin Township office employee has been fired. Township Supervisor Charles Lutzow fired Ryan Provenzano Tuesday morning from his role as the chief of staff in his office where he earned $32 an hour and $63,000 a year in a full-time role, the Northwest Herald reports. Provenzano also had another agreement in place for a second part-time position making $30 per hour as the deputy highway commissioner.

It was unclear as of Tuesday if Provenzano was also fired from the highway commissioner role, according to the Northwest Herald.

It's also unclear why exactly Provenzano was fired from the chief of staff role in Lutzow's office. But the Republican has come under fire in recent months by township officials and road district employees "who contend that his hiring was the product of patronage and cronyism," according to the Northwest Herald.

The local newspaper reports:

Provenzano is the son of former McHenry County Board member Nick Provenzano, who now works for U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, and the nephew of former Maine Township Highway Commissioner Robert Provenzano. ...

Ryan Provenzano helped McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett win election as his campaign manager, and he worked as a field director for Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign operations in McHenry County. Ryan Provenzano and his father helped Lutzow run his campaign for township supervisor.

The 23-year-old, who previously was employed by McHenry Harley-Davidson and worked as a front house manager for Plum Garden Restaurant, was hired by Algonquin Township Supervisor Dianne Klemm last May as an administrative assistant making $13 per hour and was tasked with helping "transition the office into Lutzow's hands."

On his first day on the job, Lutzow approved a significant raise for Provenzano, bumping his salary up to $59,000 per year.

For more on this article, visit the Northwest Herald

Photo caption: The Algonquin Township offices are located along Route 14 in Crystal Lake. Photo credit: GoogleMaps