By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Some McLean County Board members want to shine more light on county government.
A bipartisan group of board members have proposed moving the meeting times to afternoon or evening and upgrading the county’s website and digital media presence.
Six board members signed a letter to Rules Subcommittee Chair Jim Soeldner and County Board Chairman John McIntrye requesting this be placed on their concerns be addressed.
Board member Josh Barnett (R-Bloomington) would like the county to relax rules for getting on the agenda to address the board.
“It’s still the right thing to do,” Barnett said. “To give five days notice to speak on an items that may not be on the agenda and th agenda may not be posted until three days before the meeting, there’s just something not right about that.”
Barnett said the county tried it once before more than a decade ago and nobody new came. He said this is a different time now.
Board member Carlo Robustelli (D-Bloomington) said no one is trying to hide anything, but the county can be more transparent.
“What is the best way for us, given some of the changes in technology, given some of the expectations of residents, what would be the best way for us to serve taxpayers?,” Robustelli asked.
Soeldner said the committee will take up the matter soon.
The other County Board members who signed the letter are Republicans Chuck Erickson and Catherine Metsker and Democrats Victoria Harris and Erik Rankin.
Juror Pay
The County Board also approved juror pay at $10 per day along with a 38-cent per mile reimbursement. That was the pay before May 2015 when the county upped the pay to $25 per day with no mileage reimbursement.
The change in pay comes in response to an Illinois Supreme Court ruling which declared a six-person jury unconstitutional.
“I think this is woefully inadequate,” Justice Committee chairman William Caisley said. The retired judge noted Winnebago County pays jurors $5 per day, which seemed to provide motivation for McLean County to lower its pay.
“I think that’s not a good idea,” Caisley said.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
