After 20-Year Tenure, McHenry County Administrator Retires

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — After 20 years of service, McHenry County Administrator Peter Austin has announced he will retire, county officials said Friday. His last day as county administrator will be Jan. 2, 2026.

During Austin’s tenure, he helped bring a long list of projects to fruition, from the widening of Rakow Road and Randall Road to the building of a new Valley Hi Nursing Home and, more recently, its new Heart of the Valley memory care wing, county officials said.

His time in office also saw unprecedented collaboration and shared services initiatives with McHenry County local governments as well as the collar counties, Cook County and Chicago.

“Serving McHenry County has been the highlight of my career,” Austin said. “While I’m proud of the many projects I helped bring to fruition with the help of a very talented and dedicated staff, I hope I will be remembered for instilling McHenry County’s culture of collaboration, innovation, and dedication to fiscal responsibility.”

The process to select the next county administrator will be discussed in the coming weeks, with Austin staying active through his retirement date to ensure a smooth transition.

McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler, who has worked with Austin since his 2020 election, thanked Austin for his service and lauded him for his achievements.

“Pete’s ability to run a tight and efficient organization has made my job as County Board Chairman a lot smoother. He has an unmatched understanding of government, and an equally unmatched drive to help elected offices and departments work better together,” Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said. “It is no wonder that McHenry County is regarded as one of if not the best run county in Illinois, and the County Board and I couldn’t be more grateful for his tireless service.”

Austin spent 20 of his 34 years in public service as McHenry County Administrator and has worked with five county board chairpersons during his tenure.

He began his career with the village of Western Springs as a graduate intern while pursuing his master’s in public administration at Northern Illinois University. After his graduation, Austin was promoted to assistant to the village manager in 1994.

He was hired as Kendall County’s first county administrator in 1997, and then assistant county
administrator of Lake County in 2001 before being hired in 2005 by McHenry County.

Austin, 55, intends to spend more time with family during his retirement while continuing to reside in McHenry County where he and his wife, Jennifer, raised both their sons. He also intends to travel more with Jennifer and their dog, Olive, and visit their sons who are pursuing their careers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Washington D.C., county officials said.