Jim Dey: Champaign County Board members preparing another attack on auditor
May 15—Critics of Champaign County Auditor George Danos are taking another shot at him today.
Members of the county board's labor committee will consider a resolution today to censure the Democratic auditor for "failure to serve as an independent watchdog" of county finances and engaging in "conduct unbecoming of an elected official."
Committee Chair Emily Rodriguez, a fellow Democrat, said she expects the measure to be "unanimously" approved and then passed on for further approval by the full county board.
She also indicated the censure resolution is the first of a series of actions the board plans to take against Danos.
"There is more to come. We are exploring all avenues," Rodriguez said.
Even if approved by the full board on May 23, it's unclear what effect beyond symbolism the resolution will have.
Danos is an independent elected official answerable only to the voters. Further, since Republicans failed to field a candidate against him in the November election, he is running unopposed for another four-year term.
Despite that reality, he has taken an aggressive approach toward his critics and their allegations.
Danos calls charges of inappropriate conduct "raw," unsubstantiated and "orchestrated" against him for personal and policy reasons.
The labor committee has three Democratic members: Rodriguez, Stephanie Fortado and Don Owen, the former Urbana schools superintendent who was recently appointed to the county board. Its Republican members are Aaron Esry and John Farney.
Democrats Rodriguez and Fortado are openly critical of Danos, while Owen has kept any thoughts on the matter to himself.
On the GOP side, Farney, a former county auditor and treasurer, has made antagonistic comments about Danos while Esry has remained silent.
Danos has complained he is the target of an "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" array of charges. He's correct in that the censure resolution is broad.
He's charged with creating a "work environment" that the county board does not "condone or support."
Specifically, the censure resolution charges him with harassing employees in his small office, seeking reimbursement for an inappropriate expense — parking fees — on a business trip, engaging in political work during office hours and apparently ignoring his official duties.
The latter charge relates to the board's claim that Danos logged on to the county's Munis software program just 20 times over a 461-day period.
Danos has denied all the allegations. He noted that rules bar him from "campaigning" during office hours and said he has never done that.
He suggested the expense issue reflected an honest difference of opinion over an out-of-pocket expenditure during a business trip.
This controversy ostensibly stems from an anonymous Freedom of Information Act request submitted to the county executive's office under the name "Cookie Cutter." It sought information on personnel complaints and computer use from Danos' office.
"Cookie Cutter" was later identified as local Democrat Wayne Williams, the former Cunningham Township assessor.
Board members subsequently solicited complaints from employees in Danos' office that became a partial basis for the resolution.
The board was prepared to consider the censure resolution last month. But Rodriguez said she and others decided to wait and revise the measure.
In the meantime, Danos hired a lawyer — Jim Martinkus of Champaign — who has suggested board members are on dangerous ground by pursuing unsubstantiated defamatory charges.
For his part, Danos contends his opposition to a proposed quarter-cent sales-tax increase that might be on the fall ballot is the reason he's been targeted. His critics flatly deny that.
Whatever the situation, Danos said a censure vote — whether by the labor committee or full board — will be revealing.
"It will just let us know who's vicious and gullible and who's open-minded and fair," he said.
