Ryan Provenzano was hired at Algonquin Township as a result of political patronage, and anyone who claims otherwise either is lying to you or doesn’t understand the meaning of the term. Patronage hiring is not illegal, but it is not good government. If township officials want to demonstrate that they are concerned about wise use of public funds, they will eliminate Provenzano’s positions or, if they are truly necessary, open them to the public. Provenzano is a 23-year-old without a college degree who earns $63,000 a year as chief of staff for Algonquin Township Supervisor Charles Lutzow, with a separate position as Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser’s deputy, through which he can earn an additional $33 an hour for as many hours a week as Gasser needs him.