:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/REPA57IAYFSMFTA3LF3NIGNY6U.jpg)
McHenry County Board District 2 is located in the southeast portion of McHenry County and includes parts of Crystal Lake, Cary, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and Lakewood. John Reinert is the incumbent.
Full Name: John Reinert
What office are you seeking? McHenry County Board District 2
What is your political party? Republican
Age: 64
Occupation and Employer: Self Employed, Real Estate Broker and owner of John Reinert Builders Inc.
What elected offices, if any, have you previously held? I currently serve on the County Board
Campaign website: John Reinert for McHenry County Board district 2 is available on facebook
Town where you live: Crystal Lake
Education: I attended Harper College in Palatine.
Community Involvement: My wife and I have lived in Crystal Lake since 1982 where we raised our 2 daughters. I served on the McHenry County Fair board in 1997 & 1998 where My family and I supported the county fair and the 4 H horse shows. I am currently a Crystal Lake Lion. Additionally I am a member of the Heartland Board of REALTORs, where I serve as a Heartland board director. I am also a member of the government affairs committee. Additionally I’m a Liaison board member to the McHenry County Conservation District.
Marital Status/Immediate Family: Married to my wife Cassy, we have 2 daughters and 2 grandsons.
In under 100 words, please share anything else about your professional or personal background that you want voters to know.
I have enjoyed a career my entire adult life as a REALTOR in Crystal Lake. I am also a home builder, having built over a hundred homes in the community. My family and I consider ourselves environmentalists and raising bees as a hobby that was passed on to me from my father in law for over 30 years. I enjoy pretty much everything on wheels, bicycles, tractors, motorcycles, and airplanes. I also brew some awesome craft beer with a few friends.
Why are you running for office?
My original concern was to help reduce the escalating Real Estate taxes and the unnecessary burdens put on homeowners and businesses here in McHenry County. I fought to reduce the bureaucracy placed on the permit process and regulations that tie the hands and reduce the chances of owning a successful business here in Mchenry County. I successfully got the unexplained impact fees placed on new home permits subsequently reducing home prices by thousands of dollars. I still am a tax fighter.
I also serve on the transportation committee. We focus on improving roads and infrastructure here in the county, McHenry County is debt free and I hope to continue the sage leadership of the previous boards.
What would you identify as the top three issues currently facing the county board and how would you address them?
Aside from the taxes, The Safe-T act, the recent state building codes that are making Workforce housing nearly non-achievable and future inflation would be the main issues for me.
In General, we have a strong county board that is leading McHenry County in the right direction. I am cautiously optimistic when the federal Dollars dry up in the next year or two we will continue to run McHenry county with the same quality services as we enjoy today. This board has given the States Attorneys Office the funds needed to continue their excellence we have come to expect and, I am certain the Sheriff’s office will get the budget they are requesting to operate with the demands imposed on them by the Safe-T act. I am watching the budget and I hope to keep inevitable tax increases throttled back as much as possible. These mandates put upon us in Springfield cause unintended consequences and have always concerned me.
If you’re an incumbent, how are you planning to vote on the upcoming budget and tax levy? Aside from the cut in the levy related to the mental health board, do you support additional cuts, or would you support holding the line on any increase? Would you support taxing the maximum allowed under the tax cap and of new EAV growth? If you’re a challenger, how would you approach this issue?
I have resisted any tax increase using the CPI in the upcoming budget. I would support new growth but I am not interested in raising the upcoming tax LEVY past new EAV growth.
Why shouldn’t voters choose your opponent?
Trash talking my opponent is not a policy I want to start. I would rather sell my skill set, and I hope the voters agree I am the best choice. I would hope my opponent will have a similar response.
Should the Metra, CTA and Pace boards be consolidated into one regional public transportation agency? Why or why not?
ABSOLUTELY NOT. The CTA is broke and they want to usurp our funds to prop themselves up. McHenry County residents are not served by the CTA. I prefer to keep the CTA in Chicago and Cook county. Pace and Metra are run well and do not need to be brought into the CTA system. I hope this consolidation does not happen.
What are the county’s biggest infrastructure needs and what is your plan for funding them?
We are in the final stage of the Randall Rd expansion. The transportation funds are now propped up with a motor fuel tax, We have the funds for the current and future infrastructure needs in place. The Bridge Funds and the grants needed to improve them are a challenge moving forward. Many of these bridges are on township roads and the County will need to help, both with engineering and seeking grants from federal and the state matching funds. We are and will continue to handle these challenges. There are some using this topic as an alarm to make people believe this is a huge problem. It’s just not true. The County Department of Transportation is one of McHenry County’s best run departments.
How do you propose to regulate the use of solar farms in the county? Do you support the expansion of solar farms in unincorporated areas?
This is Another unintended consequence. The county has very little control on Solar farms. Personally I don’t consider them farms, This is an industry. There is nothing agriculturally related to a field of solar energy collectors. The state has mandated a quick permit processing approval by all the government bodies in the state. If we were to turn down a solar institution permit we could be sued and we would not win. Ultimately It would cost the taxpayers money in awarded settlements. I do not support turning fertile farmland into industrial use.
The county board recently convened a working group on workforce housing whose report found a need for more workforce housing in the county. Do you support the expansion of sub-market workforce housing and should the county be involved in investing in such projects?
Hmmm, I have never seen the “sub-market workforce” term used to describe workforce or affordable housing, it sounds derogatory. The energy codes were just raised this July, increasing the R-factor to 30 in exterior walls. Simply put this would require a 2x8 exterior wall construction to achieve with conventional insulation building practices. Currently 2x6 walls are used. This could possibly be the end to achievable workforce housing as we know it as it adds quite a construction cost increase.
Another unintended consequence. Currently, REALTOR lobbyists and some of the senators that I have relationships with are working on addressing these recent mandates. As long as these undue burdens are put upon the building industry I would not support any monetary investment of taxpayer monies.
On a side note I am working on a workforce home right now in Crystal Lake. I, and a few other local builders are getting quotes to build the home and will meet to work on solutions to construct homes for the working families here in McHenry County. I look forward to working on this monumental task!
Should the county board limit its votes to “germane” topics as was proposed recently? And should the board be in the business of passing resolutions or flying flags to recognize certain groups or movements?
A recent board member and friend, Chris Christensen, mentioned to me that many colleges have large boulders publicly displayed on campus that can be painted or decorated by special interest groups to bring awareness to various causes. I would support such an innovative practice. I do not believe “germane” topics should be recognized by flying flags on the county administration flag poles that are for the US flag, the State flag and our County flag.
Should the county allow marijuana dispensaries or cultivation centers to operate in unincorporated areas? Yes
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? No
In your capacity as a private citizen, have you or any business entity in which you have an ownership stake receive a federal PPP loan? If so, what was the amount and is it repaid, forgiven or still outstanding?
The first year it was offered I did not support it. The second year I reluctantly took the payroll protection, My PPP loan was retired the following year. [Reinert received two PPP loans in April 2021 totaling $17,234, according to ProPublica’s online PPP database, which shows the loans were forgiven.]
Will you honor the results of the November election, including the presidential race?
I will honor the certified election results including the presidential race.
Regarding my election results, I trust our election process here in McHenry county and, assuming that everyone is allowed to vote and the polling places are open on November 5th I will most definitely support the results.