Apparently, today’s KC Finance Committee meeting was an interesting proposition in the same way the Twilight Zone made air travel more interesting. 
After Finance Committee member Cathy Hurlbut made a big show of calling for a no holds barred county property tax levy increase to pay prosecutors and PDs last month (remember, her husband wants to be a judge), Chairman McConnaughay waltzed into today’s Finance Committee meeting with her own budget heldfirmly in her right hand.
And wouldn’t you know it, the woman who blew out a $40 million Mike McCoy surplus, passed out 50 percent pay raises, and previously hiked that levy by 50 percent, suddenly did her best Chris Lauzen impersonation by calling for a tax levy freeze. Not only that, but her “budget” called for no county staff raises whatsoever.
By the way, inquiring minds want to know exactly who came up with this personal county budget? It wouldn’t be “former” board attorney Ken Shepro doing it on county time would it?
Oh! She’s running for Lt. Governor alright. And the fact that it means throwing former allies like Hurlbut, John Hoscheit, and Mark Davoust to the wolves makes no fricken’ difference to her. As one attendee put it, “She took the Finance Committee out to the woodshed.”
Please don’t get too excited about this sudden fiscal conservative swing. She’s still trying to sneak that $800,000 elevator into the old Geneva court building and she already appears to be going back on one of her more famous State Senate campaign promise.
The Chairman swore she’d never accept that second pension, but when pseudo-journalist Rich Miller posted a list of potential incoming GOP Senators who’d sworn off that perk yesterday, Chairman McConnaughay wasn’t on it. And so far, she hasn’t responded to my email asking for clarification.
Why are those Pet Shop Boys lyrics, “and we were never being boring” suddenly coming to mind?
She is always looking out for herself…. Nothing new here. What sucks is she is now my state senator- I won’t be asking her for help with anything.
She will have her hands full in Springfield. As far as the pay raises in Kane, she has spent all those funds on her pals (ie. Phil Bus). I think if someone checked the clerk employees were given raises 4 years ago and to date still have not recieved a dime. Karen headed up that deal. It is time to pay up.