Spring just sprung, and many find ourselves in the biennial rite of Village elections season. It is recognizable from campaign signs dotting the countryside to complete strangers ringing the door or gate bell of our five-acre sanctuaries from masked humanity saying, “Howdy Neighbor,” causing you to wonder what unannounced circumstances you’re in for.
For the uninitiated, it will be an opportunity to meet a neighbor. For others it represents something akin to an unsolicited sales pitch trying to convince you to vote a certain way. If it’s the latter, you’re likely encountering a “special interest club” member.
Some of these club members can be the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Others, however, might say anything to sway your vote, and we’ve heard a lot of the classics. Either way, these club members manage to get eighty to ninety percent of their membership roster to the polls; thus, the reason for our request for all residents to take the time to vote. Here are our reasons:
- Four years ago, at the height of the special interest club’s campaign frenzy, current Village President Marty McLaughlin tied for McHenry County votes against his competitor. His winning margin was only 65 votes.
- In this same election, two special interest club members won by just three and four votes, and they’re both running again as a ticket, despite the fact one has missed a quarter of Board of Trustees meetings (a years’ worth).
Currently, the special interest club is fronting four of their Cook County members as candidates who would represent a majority of seats on our Village Board of Trustees. We believe it important the county be mentioned since most of their interests in running is county centric, such as the revival of commercial horse boarding conflict and wanting to have more control of the Forest Preserve of Cook County’s Horizon Farms on top of the extensive trail system.
Leading this group is the current president of the Barrington Hills Park District who is running for Village President. Transparency is not in his vocabulary, nor is fiscal responsibility or expense reduction. In fact, our Park District has seen a 17% increase in levies under his watch, and three month ago he asked what the legal limit was for raising the 2021 levy prior to the required formal hearing – and he then approved that maximum raise.
Contrast that with the repeated seven levy decreases we’ve experienced along with many other financial benefits our village has experienced in eight years. Benefits such as lower taxes, vastly improved roads, legal expenses that are a small fraction of what they were under the prior village president, just to name a few.
The way to continue the positive progress Barrington Hills has benefited from is to elect candidates with the values instilled by Martin McLaughlin and Colleen KonicekHannigan when they first took office eight years ago.
To accomplish that, all residents reading this need to make every effort possible to vote. We’re confident Brian Cecola is up for the challenge to serve as President as are David Riff, Tom Strauss and Laura Ekstrom to serve as Trustees. They not only have our endorsement, but also the endorsements of those with the highest regard of most residents; Marty McLaughlin and Colleen Konicek Hannigan.
So yes, if you want to continue the positive momentum we’ve enjoyed for eight years, please take the time to vote!
Early voting times and locations can be found here.
How come no one’s screaming to high heavens about Dennis Kelly and his wife suing the village of Barrington Hills while at the same time running to be the CEO and village president? Only in this town could someone who is harming our taxpayers already through legal fees want the top job so that he can continue to harm our taxpayers.
I wondered if they (Dennis and Virginia) were related. Don’t forget that Mr. Kelly, as Barrington Hills Park District president prevented the Village from using the Riding Center for the Hills are Alive annual Fall Festival. Very good example of the “we control everything attitude and history of the leaders of the Riding Club (a former Riding Club member – expelled for speaking out against the leaderships positions). Jim O’Donnell (not the former Plan Commissioner)
Rumor has the daffodils have not shown their heads yet in BH but an octogenarian with blonde hair has and is roaming the north west part of Barrington Hills once again ringing doorbells and disparaging current trustees and President candidate Brian Cecola and the one Barrington Hills slate.
Yes it’s election season and former prevaricator and chief Bobby’s mommy is out walking our streets again. Serving up more whoppers than Rodney Alan Rippy. You think this person would have figured out by now that she’s about as welcome at the front door as a Jehovah’s Witness or tax collector.
Jacobsen‘s Ethics 101
On Village Audit Report. 3/17/19
Jacobsen make false claims never thinking she would be caught. She was by the Village President who had to initially answer to the auditor for her allegations which were all lies and proven false.
So Paula making a false claims. Which were serious. Being ask to provide evidence of the claims. Then panicking when you realize you are caught. So you resort to lying about it. Then you realize you’re trapped in a lie of your own making. Then you try to frame it as something it wasn’t lying again making your first lie sound even worse and now you are claiming duress. Oh yes more of that please!!!! No thanks. Goodbye Paula and her sidekick “Brian does pot holes only” Bob.
Hello Riff, Strauss and Eckstrom