Jim Dey: Champaign not only county where board, other officials at odds

Apr. 29—Board wars

Political fights between county elected officials and county board members aren't limited to Champaign County.

George Danos, Champaign County's auditor, is currently locked in a political/policy/personal battle with some county board members here.

Similarly, up in DuPage County, Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is engaged in a power struggle with members of that county's board.

DuPage board members recently summoned Kaczmarek to a meeting with the intent of discussing various bones of contention with her.

She — in the kindest possible way, of course — told them to shove it, pointing out that she's an independent elected official who is not subject to their bidding.

Board members want to speak with Kaczmarek regarding her decisions to award two no-bid contracts worth more than $250,000 and three other no-bid contracts valued at $135,000.

The Chicago Tribune wrote that "all of the bills were related to work," related to costs of conducting elections.

The clerk's office defended its actions, citing state law that gives the clerk independent authority to run her office as she sees fit. That includes, according to the clerk, the power to pay bills and award contracts.

At the same time, DuPage County Board Chairwoman Deborah Conroy complained that the clerk is displaying "open disregard for the rules that govern our public bodies."

Kaczmarek has suggested the clerk and the board fight out the issue in the courts, calling them "the proper venue for such matters to be adjudicated."

State's Attorney Robert Berlin has warned a legal fight would consume much time and money. But at least one board member said, "if it costs us money, it costs us money."

Take note

In his continuing campaign for governor, U.S. senator or anything that's better than what he has now, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has added another service to his office's repetoire.

Giannoulias recently announced that "llinoisans who need a notary public can now access those services online through a new 'E-Notary' portal launched by the secretary of state's office."

The proposal, one really designed to attract voters, is purported to be one of Giannoulias' latest initiatives "to modernize the office and its services."

This could be a real benefit to those who find themselves in need of documented signings of official papers.

Notaries are "state-appointed officials who administer oaths, certify documents and act as witnesses."

But who and where are they when one really needs one?

Under the plan, "the process can occur fully online through one of 12 notarization service providers listed on the Illinois secretary of state's website, . All parties can now participate remotely, and notaries are allowed to use electronic signatures and seals. Individuals using e-notary services must have a valid ID and access to a device supporting audio-video communication."

Giannoulias is among several lower-level statewide elected officials — Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Comptroller Susana Mendoza — desperate to move up the political ladder. Limited by their office's relatively low profiles, they pursue all sorts of ways to bring themselves to positive public attention.

Major roadblocks in their way are Gov. J.B. Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin. It's unclear what their re-election plans are, although Durbin is nearly 80 and may not be interested in running for another six-year term in 2026.

Bond boost

Illinois' financial state remains dire, but bond ratings agencies continue to place greater trust in the state's abilities to pay back money it borrows.

Moody's Analytics recently raised its stance on Illinois bonds from "stable" to "positive." The agency cited the state's "continued improvement in fund balance and budget reserves" that it attributed to revenue increases and greater emphasis on shoring up the state's financial health.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said "bond ratings agencies notice when Illinois puts more money" in its Rainy Day Fund and public pension fund.

The higher the credit ratings a state has, the lower the interest rates it pays when borrowing money by issuing bonds.

Illinois has enjoyed nine straight credit upgrades in the last few years, and Mendoza said, "we want to keep going" in the right direction.

Feast fit for a Bear

Crain's Chicago Business reported in detail about the plan Chicago Bears owners have for building a taxpayer-subsidized stadium in Chicago.

It looks like a good deal for the team. As for taxpayers, who cares about them anyhow?

Plans indicate the stadium would cost $3.2 billion and "be built through a $2.3 billion commitment from the team and a loan from the NFL, along with $900 million in public subsidies through bonds issued by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority."

The team "is also seeking $325 million in publicly funded upfront infrastructure costs and suggested the city or state find another $1.2 billion to improve the Museum Campus and convert Soldier Field to 14 acres of multisport park land."

Crain's said, "potential terms for the new stadium would grant the team a hoard of new revenue, including from stadium naming rights and from other events at the stadium beyond Bears home games."

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is on board with the plan. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is taking a more skeptical approach.

News reports indicate the Bears have hired a small army of connected lobbyists to promote the deal with public officials.

Mizzou's money

The University of Missouri-Columbia announced its new athletic director last week. It's former Memphis AD Laird Veatch, a onetime Kansas State University linebacker.

He succeeds Desiree Reed-Francois, who left for the AD's job at the University of Arizona. Reed-Francois, who went to law school at Arizona, said she followed her "heart" in returning to lead the Wildcats' sports program.

Maybe so. But there were hard feelings between her, the Mizzou administration and members of the board of curators that contributed to her departure.

recently reported that curator Bob Blitz said among the qualities Mizzou wanted in its new AD are "someone who 'wants to live in Columbia' and 'gets along with the board and gets along with the administration.'"

The website called those comments "veiled references to Reed-Francois. Tension between her and the board and curators — and her and the football coach — were not exactly state secrets upon her departure."

Why do the hard feelings matter now?

"Missouri was owed $3 million when she chose to leave, according to her contract that ran through 2028. Reports out of Arizona indicated her new employer would pay half of that while Reed-Francois was responsible for either paying the other half or getting it reduced or forgiven by Mizzou," the website stated.

It's hard to imagine Mizzou forgiving a $1.5 million debt under this circumstance, a point made clear by Mizzou President Mun Choi.

"We do have a contract, and we do expect the terms of that to be honored," he said.

Remembering Will Henry

Last week's recommendation of the historical western fiction written by Will Henry elicited responses from longtime fans, one of whom noted that Henry also wrote children's books.

Bill Donahue of Danville recalled that Henry "wrote 'Smokey The Cow Horse,' a classic story that won the 1927 Newberry award. You can still get it on Audible and used-book sites like AbeBooks."

Donahue said "Smokey" was a "childhood favorite from Scholastic books."

"(I) love westerns and (was) glad to see Will Henry mentioned," he wrote.

Darrell Smith of Champaign wrote that he was "delighted" to see Henry's western work recognized and made a couple recommendations.

"I first encountered his books in grade school (I'm 76 now) and have read most of them. I can't name a favorite, but 'Death of a Legend' and 'The Fourth Horseman' certainly rank right up there," he wrote.

"Death of a Legend" is described as a "fictional retelling of the adventures and death of Jesse James" that "brings readers into the mind of an infamous outlaw."

"The Fourth Horseman" concerns Arizona's "Peaceful Basin War" between cattlemen and sheep-herders, reportedly the "the bloodiest range war in the history of the West."