Zinke, the County Board and MCC

Undersheriff Andy Zinke was a featured student in a recent full-page advertisement by McHenry County College. Wish I had saved the page and framed it.

In Zinke's email to County Board members, using the McHenry County Sheriff's Department e-mail system and paid employee time, he complained about the hazards of running for office and how they compared to his 25 years in cop work. He told a Northwest Herald reporter that there was "nothing political" in his email and "County Board members oversee all county officers."

No, they don't. Just like McHenry County College trustees don't oversee all MCC officers. (They might like to think they do, but they don't.) The trustees are elected; then they hire a President. The President runs the College. At least, that's the way it is supposed to be.

Voters elect the County Board. The County Board hires an administrator. He runs the County.

Voters elect a Sheriff. The Sheriff runs the Sheriff's Department. The Undersheriff is an employee of the Sheriff's Department. His supervisor is the Sheriff. The Undersheriff has no official authority to go to the County Board, unless he is acting for the Sheriff.

The Sheriff was even in town on Friday. He was in Judge Meyer's courtroom for the case of Gonigam v. Nygren et al. Score one day in the IN column for Nygren.

In Pete's article about Friday's hearing, he mentioned that Nygren stood next to his EEO officer, Don Leist, who were both there pro se.

From my position, it appeared that Nygren stood behind and slightly to the side of Pete's attorney, Mary Gardner, and toward the two Assistant State's Attorneys, as if they were representing him. Maybe they were, for his official capacity.