McHenry County Board Approves Committee Assignments

Press release from the McHenry County Government:

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The McHenry County Board isn’t wasting any time getting down to doing the public’s business.

Barely a week after swearing in four new members – as well as a new Chairman and Vice-Chairwoman – the County Board voted Tuesday evening to approve its membership roster of committees in which much of county government’s work gets done.

“The excitement that this new County Board has for getting to work shows in the speed and professionalism with which they assigned committee memberships so we can move forward,” County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said. “We met for the first time on Dec. 7, the Committee on Committees met on Dec. 9, and the full County Board approved the roster six days later. This County Board is motivated to hit the ground running.”

The County Board’s six standing committees are the foundation of how county government works. Business that comes before the County Board must first pass through committee, and is then reviewed by the full County Board at its monthly Committee of the Whole before being voted on at the monthly voting meeting.

The County Board must reorganize committee assignments following each November election to place new members and put existing members where their talents will be best utilized. That job under the County Board’s rules falls to a temporary Committee on Committees, which consists of one representative from each of the County Board’s six districts, and the Vice-Chairwoman.

Carolyn Schofield, who was elected Vice-Chairwoman by her fellow members at the Dec. 7 organizational meeting, said that the new committee roster is reflective of the talents that individual members bring, and is helmed by a team of strong and experienced leaders.

“We thought it was important to seat the committees as soon as possible so the County Board can address the important issues it will face heading into the new year,” Schofield, R-Crystal Lake, said. “I think we were fair and thoughtful in our approach, and crafted a roster that creates a positive and collaborative working environment for the next two years.”

Three of the six committee chairmanships changed hands under the new roster. Joe Gottemoller, R-Crystal Lake, will chair the Administrative Services Committee, Lori Parrish, R-Crystal Lake, will chair the Public Health and Community Services Committee, and Jeff Thorsen, R-Crystal Lake, will chair the Law and Government/Liquor Committee. Board member Mike Skala, R-Huntley, stays chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee, Jim Kearns, R-Huntley, will continue to chair the Transportation Committee, and Larry Smith, R-Harvard, will stay chairman of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee.

A complete list of the committee memberships approved Tuesday evening can be found by clicking here.

Schofield thanked the Committee on Committees for its work. The committee consisted of County Board members Robert Nowak, R-Cary, Thorsen, Gottemoller, Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, John Jung, R-Woodstock, and Michele Aavang, R-Woodstock.

This press release was produced by the McHenry County Government City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.