Three candidates running on the “Your Barrington Hills” (YBH) slate are seeking public office for the first time in Barrington Hills. Their names (Louis Iacovelli for president, Paula Jacobsen and Robert Zubak for trustee) are not familiar to most residents, as none of them have had any prior experience or position in our village government. However, their names are definitely well-known in the equestrian community, as they and their spouses have been intimately involved in the Riding Club of Barrington Hills (RCBH). As we’ve published previously, all three of these candidates and Elaine Ramesh, running separately from the slate, have all meticulously avoided nearly any reference to their penchant for all things equestrian during their campaigns.
The question being asked is, did these three choose to run because of their genuine interest in the welfare of all village residents, or did they run at the behest of others who share a hidden agenda?
The YBH candidates, can find no real fault with the record of the current administration, and have had to manufacture issues, frequently grossly misrepresenting facts in their mailers, social media platforms and their newspaper interviews, a technique taken out of the playbook of the former village president, and the Save 5 Acres and SOS campaigns in recent election cycles. Not only are their allegations not based in fact, their responses to the candidate questionnaires published in two suburban newspapers, are nearly identical, as if penned by the same hand. They all present the same, disingenuous information, either by design to discredit and malign the current administration, or by laziness in researching village documents. Whatever the reason for the deception, none are worthy of candidacy for Village office.
Let’s examine some of the spin coming out of the Riding Club camp:
- YBH Spin: The new 911 dispatch service is not working as well as the former in-house system? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. According to the Chief of Police, the outsourced system actually provides better coverage and faster response times.
- YBH Spin: Police coverage has diminished, thereby endangering residents’ safety. REALITY: This is not supported by fact, as the Village, with a static population, has had the same number of officers in the field for twenty years.
- YBH Spin: There are no commercial businesses in Barrington Hills, and the village does not collect sales tax? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. There are a few businesses in the village, and annually $120,000 – $130,000 in sales taxes revenue is collected from them, according to Village records.
- YBH Spin: The Village is being re-branded as embracing small lots? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. As best as we can figure, YBH is claiming this because the village website states “Large properties ranging from one to 10+ acres give residents more freedom to live how they want…” This is nothing more than a statement of fact. And, if Louis, Paula or Bob were actually familiar with the village’s official zoning map, they would know that 1-acre, 2-acre and 3-acre properties currently exist within Barrington Hills and have existed for decades (Burning Oak Trail, Barrington Bourne and Ashbury Lane to name just a few neighborhoods that have lots under 5 acres). These R-2, R-3 and R-4 districts are also referenced in the Village’s Comprehensive Plan.
- YBH Spin: Open spaces are at risk and must be saved? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. Since the 2013 elections, to date, only 14 permits for single-family home construction have been issued for properties, all on 5 or more acres, with NO applications for subdivisions.
- YBH Spin: FOIA expenses are out of control? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) expenses are documented to be less than they were prior to 2013, and majority of the current expense can be attributed to three individuals, all of whom support this three-person slate.
- YBH Spin: The current Administration is not protecting residents from intrusion by development in neighboring communities? REALITY: This is not supported by fact. The main issues raised by the Riding Club slate are Longmeadow Parkway (LMP) and the pending Plum Farm Development in Hoffman Estates, both of which could have been mitigated by the previous administration with proper proactive negotiation. The current administration has acted to the limits of the law in its attempts to discourage these plans. In addition to its resolution against LMP, the McLaughlin administration has opposed and spoken out against the IAA Auto Yard in East Dundee, the Speedway development in Lake Barrington in 2015, and voted against the widening of Route 62 2014-2017. And within the last month, Barrington Hills passed a 20-year border agreement with South Barrington.
- YBH Spin: The Village Levy has not increased in twelve years? REALITY: This misrepresents the facts. According to published village financial records, the levy under the previous regime was set at $6,565,273 as set by previous administration in each of years 2011-2012-2013. The Village Board, lead by McLaughlin and trustee Colleen Konicek Hannigan LOWERED the levy in each successive year from 2014 through 2016, down to $$5,319,862. This represents a cumulative reduction in the Levy of $1,736,467.
So we ask again: are these poor hapless candidates just dazed and confused, or have these hard-core equestrians been coached by three village residents who have strong personal reasons to support this slate of Iacovelli, Jacobsen and Zubak, (as well as Elaine Ramesh whose candidacy was the subject of our previous feature)? Their close associates include 1) the vocal large-scale commercial boarding operator who has been involved in on-going litigation with the village for eight years, 2) the chairman of a large undeveloped property located in unincorporated McHenry County, who has been fanning the flames of controversy over repeal of the flawed Anderson II horse boarding ordinance, and 3) of course, the former village president who apparently is desirous of once again imposing his failed agendas upon our village.
We believe that the ultimate goal of all four of these candidates is to reinstate ordinances to permit unbridled, large-scale commercial boarding and unimpeded related commercial equestrian activities to the Village, at the expense of the rights of the rest of us to the peaceful enjoyment of our homes.
Unbridled commercial equestrian activities may be THEIR Barrington Hills, but it’s not OUR Barrington Hills.
Excellent Review and much needed !
BHO and VBH residents: it is not what they say which matters; but what they fail to say. This election is all about their handlers’ desire to reinstate the very unpopular Anderson II Commercial Horse Boarding Amendment and nothing else. Just look who is displaying their political signs in front of their homes.
They cannot promote or defend Anderson II thus they raise other bogus claims to you and me as the perceived ill-informed electorate. These charges against McLaughlin and Konicek-Hannigan are nothing more than “Red Harringtons”.. This failed ploy of the past is right out of former Prevaricator in Chief’s political playbook.
In my opinion from what I am reading in style and content from the challengers, all should be weary of the jilted man staying awake late at night on his keyboard in his basement with the cheeto stained fingers. He has waited 4 long years and now with the election so close on the horizon, he simply cannot help himself. . . .
And the Silent One . . . . well like “ole times” she once again just stands idly by as the prevarications from her political team become embedded with the public . . . . .
I rarely comment – but today I want to once again thank the Observer for putting out the true FACTS about “what is happening in our town”. It is hard to believe that the smart individuals in our community would fall prey to so many misrepresented facts. Sadly, not everyone has time to fact check nor do they have the desire to get politically involved as most residents want to just get along with their neighbors, enjoy the countryside and their peaceful surroundings. Maybe some just put thier energy into charitable efforts versus always having to point out the obvious political lies that are never ending…. I personally am tired of one particular group grandstanding at every opportunity in an effort to try to convince our community it is OK to protect ONE farm, while their true concerns are self motivated for their own interests versus the community at large. With this said, it would be preferred in future postings, not to always see the RCBH’s and horse people put in the same category as the above mentioned individuals who intentionally and politically desire to broadcast false information. I am a horse person and recently have joined the RCBH’s board — does this make me bad or am I seen as an individual with my own thoughts and mind? This not to be argumentative, but to Share that we can all have individual thoughts and beliefs no matter our association. Personally, my support goes to Marty and Colleen without question – not just because I am honored to call them my friends, but because the facts show that their efforts in office have WORKED!
I did move to BH for my horses, trails and open lands and I will always stand behind all efforts to protect these privileges, but at NO time does that give me the right to infringe on a neighbors rights. We can ALL work together — Support Horses, Horse Trails, and many other horse activities. It is time for members of this community to stop asking themselves “WHAT TEAM AM I ON” and begin to look at the facts Eye’s Wide Open!
VOTE -April 4- for what is WORKING…
Well written article. Voting for McLaughlin and Konicek Harrigan. Say no to the Trojan horsemen/puppets.
It has been so quiet except for the sign stealing. Is Lundmark back in town?
David…my morning chuckle was your theory of the “Red Harrington”.
No Horse n Around…your insight is profound. I am a 30+ year long resident of BH who has always been involved with the whole Barrington community. Our village was free of constant controversy for 12 of those years.
WARNING to NEW RESIDENTS: The RCBH is our de facto welcome wagon and that is a good and bad thing. Don’t believe every snippet they tell you because the besmirching resembles the current campaign literature for Your Barrington Hills.
The Trojan Horsemen are Headless Horsemen. Their tactic this time is unique but won’t work. If elected, Your Barrington Hills would be incapable of running this village because they just aren’t qualified and their puppet strings are invisible.
Vote for those who are concerned about the two legged residents of our village while respecting and nurturing our heritage with the four legged ones.
To No Horse N Around:
When I first moved to VBH in 2001 I contributed annually to RCBH even though we did not own any horses. I supported RCBH because I enjoyed being surrounded by these beautiful animals and shared RCBH mission. I regretfully was one of the VBH Plan Commisson members who helped draft the current Comprehensive Plan. A document whose interpretation has been disabused by prior elected VBH and RCBH leadership using it as a sword against VBH residents to undermine VBH 57 year old 5 acre residential estate zoning code.
They do this through blatent misinterpretation and invocation of self-serving maginary language in concluding VBH supports unfettered large scale commerical horse boarding anywhere of any structural size and scope with little or no local government oversight in R-1 zoned areas.
The political platform of the Silent Ones’ Save 5 Acres political team promulgated in writing by RCBH luminary, John Rosene was for equestrians to “shoot” nonequestrian residents with scoped rifles while in their driveways coming or going to work without objection or comment from RCBH or the Silent One who once again is asking for your vote on April 4th.
When former VBH President and Silent One were elected to office, RCBH no longer conducted itself as a private nonprofit orgnaization but engaged in political activism which continues today.This activism includes RCBH President, Jason Elder’s presentation on behalf of RCBH to VBH ZBA what subsequenlty became known as the “Anderson II Commercial Horse Boarding Ordinance.”
While RCBH application for commercial horse boarding was denied on technical grounds for lack of legal standing, ZBA member and “undisclosed” VBH RCBH tax attorney, Kurt Anderson took up RCBH cause by presenting (in conjunction with ZBA Chairman Judith Freemen) ” almost identical “permitted use” zoning language subsequently approved by RCBH dominated ZBA and BOT members. This law was coined the “Anderson II Commercial Horse Boarding Ordinance”. An ordinance which was a direct affront on VBH’s 57 year 5-acre estate residential living.
While I do not confuse VBH equestrians with the recent radical commercial horse boarding profiteers, I do include RCBH with this big business fringe group based upon its political actions of recent past to undermine VBH residential code without a single objection in public forum from any of its rank and file members including the Silent One and other challengers seeking your vote on April 4th.
Until the RCBH rids themselves of these self-serving profiteers at the top of its organization and its politics of bringing big business to VBH, my prediction is the standing of RCBH in the community will continue to deteriorate to the point where maybe a new equestrian organization will form more in line with equestrianism of the past restoring this hobby and lifestyle to its traditional protected place in our village.
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[…] Iacovelli, Jacobsen and Zubak, whom he supports, along with Equestrienne Ramesh. Our feature Meet the Candidates Part Two: YBH — the Trojan Horsemen, published yesterday, set the record straight on many of those […]
[…] detailed in Meet the Candidates Part One and Part Two, Jacobsen, Zubak and Ramesh are distancing themselves from their extremist equestrian bias, in what […]