A binding referendum question asking whether voters want to consolidate the offices of the McHenry county clerk and recorder of deeds, or not, is slated to appear on the March 20 primary election ballot.

A binding referendum question asking whether voters want to consolidate the offices of the McHenry county clerk and recorder of deeds, or not, is slated to appear on the March 20 primary election ballot.

Prior to that date, voters will also find a reduction in the number of polling places, from 137 sites to 101 sites, as part of a cost-saving initiative exercised by the clerk’s office.

The nearly 25 percent attrition rate for the polling places was the result of several locations requesting to be dropped as a designated host, due to issues of security and protection. These venues included school district buildings and vulnerable hubs of business.

“There are still 212 precincts in the county, and they are all represented at the combined sites,” said McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan. “Some of the schools and private entities had asked to be removed in the upcoming elections. It makes a more efficient use of judges, by having three precincts at one location for check-in and verification.

“As we go into the next year, with the new electronic equipment, we are looking to save approximately $1 million for taxpayers in the county,” she said.

McClellan appeared before the McHenry County Board, during its Jan. 11 meeting, and made a presentation on the reduction plan that reflected the traditional sites and those that had declined to participate. The sites are listed on the county website (www.co.mchenry.il.us.com) and include the voting precincts for Richmond, Nunda, McHenry, Dorr, Grafton, Greenwood, Algonquin, Burton, Coral, and Chemung township locales.

McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan. (Photo courtesy of the McHenry County government)

County residents will receive notification of the new combined polling places, and applicable new voter cards by mail, prior to the election. Mail-in ballots continue to be accepted until March 15, and all in-person early voting requests must be tendered by March 19.

During the election, voters must also decide on keeping the county clerk’s office and the recorder of deeds office as separate, or merge both departments into one unit. The county board voted to approve the referendum question as part of a consent agenda, at its June 20 session, last year.

Joe Tirio was elected to the recorder post in the Nov. 7, 2017 general election, and had campaigned with a proposal to combine the two offices. He supported the board motion. Should voters approve the measure, the recorder’s office would come under the clerk’s umbrella heading by Dec. 1, 2020.   

Illinois statute cites that county jurisdictions must have a population exceeding 60,000 people for the separation of the recorder and clerk offices. Smaller, rural counties have combined functions, however McLean, Peoria, Tazewell, and Cook counties with threshold numbers, voted to do so.

“The referendum is binding, but county residents should really look and see if the savings are there, since no cost-factor study has ever been completed,” said McClellan. “There should be such a study, so people know, rather than just putting the questions on the ballot. It is a complex matter, with different functions for the recorder’s office and the clerk’s office.”

According to the mission statement on the county website, the recorder’s office is to “Record, maintain and to retrieve all real estate records, documents and plats of subdivision in McHenry County, while providing an efficient office giving the public courteous, fast and correct information on any of the over 3.4 million documents recorded.”

The website also defines the county clerk’s office as “The chief election authority (and) provides a myriad of voter and candidate services and administers McHenry County elections in a fair, unbiased, accurate, efficient, and timely manner. The clerk’s office also maintains vital records (birth, marriage, and death), public filings, tax and real estate services, as well as recording the McHenry County Board proceedings.”

“Voters should investigate this question,” said McClellan. “Voters should not simply cast a ‘yes’ vote because of the word ‘consolidation’ being attached. It’s become a real ‘hot-button’ word.”

Tirio was not available for further comment.

—Binding referendum on county office merge; polling place reduction–