Grafton Township Politics Heat Up

Updates in bold, posted 11:13 am.

Grafton Township politics, which a McHenry County judge called a “blood sport,” is igniting once again, spurred by a notice sent to voters about a special meeting Tuesday to stop the “continued waste of your tax dollars.”

Supervisor Linda Moore said a group of citizens petitioned to have a special meeting at 6pm, Tuesday, April 12—an hour before the township’s annual town meeting. Both meetings will be held at Huntley High School, 13719 Harmony Rd.

But there’s an effort underway to get citizens to “Take Back Grafton Township.” Maggie Darr is trying to get people to go to the meeting to oppose the agenda items. She and others have started a blog outlining their position.

A post card announcing the special meeting landed in voters’ mailboxes this week.

The electorate is allowed to conduct special meetings, develop its own agenda, select a moderator and vote on bylaws without authorization from township trustees, she said.

A post card announcing the special meeting landed in voters’ mailboxes this week. The postcard states “Grafton Township Trustees did it again!” It goes on to say that the electorate directed the board at the 2010 annual meeting to pay the township’s Road District the $700,000 it owed. It does not indicate why the township owes that amount.

Township officials have not authorized Moore to pay that amount back, she said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, voters plan to give trustees a deadline to pay that amount back.

However, Darr feels the state of the township’s financial future will be decided at the meeting, she said in an e-mail.

“There is a question on the agenda to repay the $700K Road District loan in one lump sum payment,” she wrote. “Although the Township's books remain unaudited (that's another issue), it is estimated that there is only $300K in available funds. In order to repay the loan in one payment, another loan will need to be issued (most likely at a higher interest rate as the original loan is a municipal bond). The Township's day-to-day operations and services will be threatened if this question passes. “

Darr wants to make sure voters have all the facts on the issue.

Those calling for Tuesday’s special meeting have included an agenda item to vote “to adopt a new bylaw, to hold each board member who fails to comply with these resolutions adopted by voters personally liable for all attorney fees to enforce the resolution of the voters,” the postcard reads.

According to proponents, township trustees have spent $300,000 in legal fees. Those fees stem from a lawsuit Moore filed against the board accusing trustees of trying to take her authority as supervisor away. A judge ruled in favor of Moore in a December ruling.

Elected officials are usually protected from being personally liable for attorney fees related to government business, however, townships have different rules, Moore said.

“Electors have powers you don’t see in other types of government,” Moore said, explaining trustees could be held liable.

“I find it amazing that the only way they know how to get what they want is to threaten lawsuits,” Grafton Township Trustee Barb Murphy said. “They are saying if we don’t do this in 60 days there will be another lawsuit.”

Grafton board members have a resolution to pay the $700,000 back through a payment plan that was approved by the Road District commissioner, Murphy said. A concern about paying the entire amount back is it would create financial problems for the township, she said.

The post card is “ridiculous,” Murphy said. “I feel that post card is half-truths, that’s how people get all riled up.”

Another group of citizens is reportedly trying to organize a counter-movement to appear at Tuesday’s meeting and quash any actions taken at the special meeting.