Disposal of County-owned Property

Ever give any thought about what happens to office equipment that is purchased by McHenry County with your tax dollars? You know, the desks, the chairs, the computers and monitors, all that "stuff" that is necessary to conduct the business of the County?

Recently, word came to me about the disposal of 23 computers and monitors about two years ago from the offices of one County department. According to the person who sent the information along, a person showed up with a vehicle and the computer equipment was carried out and placed in the vehicle. It was replaced with new equipment. The "old" equipment apparently wasn't that old, because the monitors were of the flat-screen breed and not the clunky old CRTs that are good now only as boat anchors (as long as the environmental folks aren't looking). And, most certainly, all 23 computers didn't die and need replacement all at once.

And what about the confidential information on all 23 computers? Were the hard drives "wiped" before they went out the door?

It seems to me that there ought to be some County rules or regulations and, sure enough, there are. There are actually three different ways that County property is to be disposed of, when no longer needed or when its useful life has ended.

And this makes sense. If the used equipment has any value, then that remaining value should be recovered. It's called reducing the taxpayers' cost of maintaining business.

Briefly, here are the three ways that property is to be disposed of:
1. Re-allocation within the County. If some other department can use it, move it over to that department - via the County-approved, re-allocation procedure, of course.
2. By County auction. Again by the rules.
3. By sealed bid sale. And by the rules.
And there is a fourth way. If the property is junk and has no useful life, then it's off to the scrap heap, with proper steps taken to assure prior destruction of any computer chips or memory.

An approved method of disposing of County-owned property does not include just giving it away.

EXCEPT if you are an elected official.

I was shocked - and, I mean, absolutely shocked; dismayed, even "alarmed and disturbed" - to learn that an elected official in McHenry County can make a unilateral decision to dispose of County-owned, County paid-for equipment, computers or otherwise. In other words, that elected official (fill in the blank here) can just call up a buddy and say, "Come and get it."

This is a loop-hole that must be closed!

How about it, County Board members? Willing to step up to bat on this one?