Jim Dey: After county board challenges auditor, he fires back
Apr. 17—URBANA — After being targeted for public denunciation by some county board members, Champaign County Auditor George Danos is waging what he calls a "forceful self-defense."
Danos has hired Champaign lawyer James Martinkus to press his case before critical county board members.
He also is scheduled to speak Thursday to the county board in opposition to a looming plan to ask voters to approve a quarter-cent sales tax supported by some of his critics.
Democratic board member Emily Rodriguez last week released a tentative resolution to "censure" Danos for "conduct unbecoming a county official and putting Champaign County in future financial peril."
There is no indication that the resolution — or a revised version — will be the subject of a vote at Thursday's board meeting. But it still could be.
After releasing the proposed resolution, Rodriguez invited inquiries by The News-Gazette but has since declined to respond to them.
Danos has dismissed the resolution's allegations as untrue and politically motivated.
"It is the fact that I am doing my job that has brought out this hornet's nest," said Danos, a Democrat who is running unopposed in the November general election.
Meanwhile, Martinkus said he's been working with Champaign County State's Attorney Julia Rietz and one of her assistants to minimize the issue.
"I'm trying to reason with them and make this thing go away," he said.
At the same time, Martinkus charged some board members have launched a "personal vendetta" against Danos and are "trying to make him look bad."
Martinkus pointed out that, as auditor, Danos is an independent elected official not subject to board dictates.
The 22-member majority Democratic board also is an independent, elected body. Because of that, Martinkus noted the board is free to pass any resolution it prefers. But he contends the resolution presents "allegations as facts" and said "if (the resolution) is not truthful, not accurate, they have got to be careful."
The cat, however, is out of the bag. The censure resolution accuses Danos of violating "county travel policy, employee intimidation, (engaging in) prohibited political activity, absenteeism, violation of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct policy and violation of county information technology policy."
The charges are based on information sought in response to a Freedom of Information Act request to the county executive's office that was submitted by Wayne Williams, the Democratic former supervisor of assessments in Cunningham Township.
The information, some of it going back years, included a variety of complaints against Danos from subordinates in his office.
In response, the county board held an emergency committee meeting at which Democratic board member Stephanie Fortado characterized the auditor's office as "dysfunctional."
Last week, Rodriguez, also a Democrat, presided over a labor committee meeting that addressed "concerns" about the auditor's office and "reviewed" a draft response to it — presumably the censure resolution.
Danos characterized the board's laundry list of concerns as "Saul Alinksky tactics of intimidation" that will not be successful.
Danos and board Democrats, mostly, have been at odds in recent months. He charged his critics are motivated by political animus over his opposition to a sales tax increase while they contend their only interest is in good government.
Board members recently tried without success to abolish the auditor's office. But Danos was able to rally public support and persuade a board majority to reject the plan supported by, among others, Fortado and Rodriguez.
Now comes the sales tax issue. Danos said he has repeatedly been denied an opportunity to speak in opposition at a board meeting. He insists the county doesn't need the revenue and that it is his obligation as auditor to defend taxpayers.
