One of first jobs for new McHenry aldermen will be hiring new city administrator

Two challengers were leading in the race for McHenry City Council, according to unofficial and incomplete election results Wednesday.

One of the first jobs for the newly and reelected board members will be choosing a replacement for City Administrator Derik Morefield.

Morefield, McHenry city administrator since April 2012, informed the board in a Dec. 19 closed session that he plans to retire as of Jan. 19, 2024, Mayor Wayne Jett said.

A city policy on how the board will chose its next administrator will be voted on soon, Ward 7 Alderwoman Sue Miller said. With no challenger, Miler was reelected on Tuesday.

While still not final, the totals from Tuesday’s results include early voting, mail-in and Election Day ballots, according to the McHenry County Clerk’s Office website. Late-arriving mail-in ballots and provisional ballots are not included in the totals.

About 17,900 mail-in ballots still were outstanding countywide as of Wednesday and could be counted if postmarked by Election Day and received in time, McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio said.

The results will be finalized April 25.

As of Wednesday, Christine Bassi was leading with 277 in Ward 4 over incumbent Ryan Harding by a slim 18-vote margin, and Michael E. Koch was ahead in Ward 6 against another newcomer, Rob Johnson.

Koch had 111 votes to Johnson’s 70, according to unofficial results. Both were looking to replace Patrick Devine, who did not run for reelection.

Incumbent Andy Glab was leading in his reelection bid in Ward 2 by only 20 votes over challenger Michael Lehman. Glab had 173 votes to Lehman’s 153, according to unofficial results.

Bassi said Wednesday that she was not quite prepared to claim victory, as the vote tallies were not finalized.

“Nothing is official until the county certifies it, but I am cautiously optimistic,” she said.

Glab was somewhat more sure that the margin between himself and his challenger would remain. Late mail-in ballots still could be tallied, he said, “but I do feel ... the people have spoken.”

It will not be his first go-round at selecting a new administrator, Glab said. When he was first elected in 1997, McHenry did not have a city administrator, either. But picking one in 1997 was “a lot easier than it is today,” Glab said.

“The city administrator is an important position. Derik Morefield is committed ... to not walking away” until a new administrator is brought in, Glab said.

The council has been talking about how to replace Morefield since February, Miller said, adding a formal policy should be on the April 17 agenda.

In its essence, the policy calls for the City Council to “use all avenues to collect the best pool of talent that we then get to select from,” whether than person is an internal candidate or found elsewhere, Miller said.

“We will promote [the position] internally and externally to make sure that we unearth every qualified employee that is out there. We don’t know where that person is coming from and we have great momentum” as a city, Miller said. “We want to have the right administrator in place.”

We will promote (the position) internally and externally to make sure that we unearth every qualified employee that is out there.

—  McHenry City Council Ward 7 Alderwoman Sue Miller

Bassi said she only learned of Morefield’s decision to retire during Monday night’s board meeting, but she hopes internal candidates are considered.

“If we have someone who is qualified, that is the best place to start.”

Koch also said he learned of Morefield’s impending departure this week. He wants to see who applies for the role before saying where that candidate should come from.

“Let’s see their experience and go from there.”

Harding said he was a little saddened to not be a part of the hiring process going forward and hopes whomever is hired plans to stick around for a while.

“I hope the next board makes the correct decision” and finds an administrator who does not see the city as a “stepping stone for the next job or who is coming from another municipality at the end of their career,” Harding said.

“It should be someone that knows McHenry, who knows the town and wants to be positively involved to make it bigger and better,” Harding said.