Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk appears headed for defeat along with his slate

Algonquin Township Supervisor Randy Funk is trailing behind challenger Richard Tado in the primary Republican election polls as of Tuesday night.

Along with the supervisor position, voters determined four trustee positions, a clerk and a highway commissioner for the township, with Funk’s slate trailing across the board.

Funk had garnered less than 40% of the vote, with only about 2,200 votes cast in total, in unofficial results. Provisional and remaining mail-in ballots were still to be counted.

With no Democrats or independent candidates having filed to run in the April 1 general election, Tuesday’s results are expected to be the final outcome for the township positions, though the votes must first be formally canvassed, a process that could take a couple of weeks.

The Algonquin Township campaigns were marked by animosity, with incumbent trustees having filed nine censures against Funk from March 2023 through last December over how he ran the township. Candidates were split in two unofficial but sharply divided camps.

As of Tuesday night, Team Tado appeared poised for victory, with majority votes going to Millie Medendorp for clerk; Danijela Sandberg for highway commissioner; and Teresa Sharpe-Decker, Theresa Fronczak, Robert Becker and Eduardo Aviles for trustee.

Maureen Huff, who is sided with Funk, trails close behind for the fourth seat, at just 31 votes behind Aviles in unofficial totals.

Tado celebrated Tuesday night with his slate and the community at El Sombrero in Fox River Grove.

“I’m really proud of the people that supported me I am honored to be the next supervisor of the township,” Tado said. “It’s going to be so much nicer.”

Some provisional and late-arriving vote-by-mail ballots still need to be counted, according to the McHenry County county clerk.

Trustees who censured Funk accuse him of operating without trustees' approval on matters such as paying bills, appointing an attorney and transferring money to the general assistance fund. Funk also was censured for claims that he withheld general assistance information from trustees and for “unprofessional conduct and lack of respect and fairness,” according to township documents.

Funk took issue with the censures, saying that they were retaliatory attempts to smear his name when he was simply trying to do his job within the powers granted to the supervisor by state statute.

Funk, a Crystal Lake resident, is a previous president of the Crystal Lake Lions Club and current president of the Crystal Lake Lions Foundation. He served one term as supervisor.

Tado, who lives in Fox River Grove, works as a consultant, has been a wrestling coach for more than 25 years and served on the board of the nonprofit Operation Horses and Heroes.

Funk and all four trustees ran unopposed in 2021 after a McHenry County judge threw out a lawsuit trying to allow voters to decide whether to abolish the township government all together.

Algonquin Township is the largest in McHenry County with more than 87,000 residents, covering all or parts of Algonquin, Barrington Hills, Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Lake in the Hills, Port Barrington, Lakewood, Oakwood Hills and Trout Valley, according to the Algonquin Township website.

Illinois townships provide property assessments, financial assistance to those in need and road maintenance. Algonquin Township provides general assistance to those in need of financial help to keep their homes, and eligibility is redetermined each month. Emergency assistance is given to eligible applicants once in a one-year period who do not qualify for general assistance.

Funk’s unofficial slate of candidates include Richard Yelle Jr. for clerk; Tim Carone for highway commissioner; and Debbie Rinn-Alcock, Kevin Byrnes, Maureen Huff and Tony Colatorti for trustee. Huff currently serves as clerk. Colatorti ran unsuccessfully for McHenry County sheriff.

Algonquin Township race for assessor is uncontested on the Republican ballot.