| The Sun-Times Serving Williamsville and Sherman |
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Forum on county board reduction held in
Williamsville
By Linda Hughes
A political science expert, a Sangamon County board member and a board candidate led a discussion on the
question of cutting the county board members from 29 to 15, held Tuesday at the Williamsville Community Center.
Kent Redfield, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, spoke, while
proponent Scott Saunders, county board candidate, and opponent Todd Smith, county board member, were on
opposite sides of the measure.
The advisory referendum will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Saunders began by saying that 29 on a county board is the maximum allowed by state law and is too many for
this county’s population.
“It’s way too many voices,” he said.
Taxpayers would save $100,000 a year if half the members were eliminated, Saunders said. The board has
asked front line employees to take volunteer early retirement, but it continues to pay part-time politicians, he said.
He noted a number of possible uses for the money saved.
The candidate said the board has 15 standing committees, during whose meetings everything is done. There
is no discussion at board meetings. The press and public could get more involved if most committee meetings
were not in the afternoon.
The Farm Bureau asked him to look into the question and give an analysis, Redfield said. There is no ideal
size for a legislative body, he added. Away from the extremes, there are tradeoffs.
Redfield said he is skeptical about changing the structure just to fix something.
“Absent a huge problem,” he said he is reluctant to give up the present board composition. “There are huge
pluses the way the county board operates.”
He added that he is skeptical of the costs savings over time.
“The more representative and perspectives … we’re better off,” Redfield said. “I’m reluctant to make a major
structural change absent a huge pressing problem.”
Smith represents District 2 on the board, which includes Williamsville, Sherman and Andrew. He said the
county runs efficiently; the board is prudent and fiscally conservative.
The committees oversee the various county departments, and the 15 committees allow members to look
closely at those departments.
“Would you want a representative of Thayer or Curran representing your interests?” he asked.
With a smaller board, communities could possibly lose representation. “That is too big a risk,” as he also
questioned the monetary savings.
Redfield said that with 29 districts each one is more homogenous — “people with common interests.”
Loss of representation is a big issue for rural communities, Smith commented. He said if an issue affects rural
communities, he is able to join other board members and thus have a louder voice for rural issues.
Saunders recalled that in his business, “the more voices, the longer everything took.” He wondered why you pay
someone $7,500 just because they may have an idea, and asserted, “No one will lose any representation.”
“Your county board is functioning affectively through the committee process,” Smith said. “We get down to
business in the committee …we put forth recommendations.”
Any board member can go to any committee meeting.
“In our effective form of government we get the job done at the committee level,” he said.
One argument for the reduction says that we get rid of 14 politicians, Redfield said. “I don’t view local
government that way. Local government is where people get engaged in politics.”
An audience member, Roger Cooper, said he is not willing to trade less representation for agriculture for a little
bit of rock salt.
“I don’t think you will get less representation,” Saunders replied.
“I don’t want Thayer to represent me,” Cooper said.
“One town doesn’t have anything to do with what another town does,” Saunders asserted.
Audience member John Swinford, a Williamsville village board trustee, asked if a cost benefit analysis had been
done on the possible change.
Referring to one proposed redistricting map, Swinford said that instead of representing three communities, a
board member would have to be familiar with a large area, making it difficult to be as familiar with the concerns
and issues as he or she is now. Referring to Smith’s representation, he said, “We are pretty happy with the way
things are.”
The needs of county roads are not that different no matter where they are, Saunders countered. Getting beans
to the elevator in Loami is the same as elsewhere. He said that 98 percent of people don’t call their board rep.
Cooper said the Williamsville area is growing, but that a lot of rural communities are declining in population.
“Our life is totally different,” he noted. A rep from an area in decline “wouldn’t have a clue.”
Cooper said he thinks the county can spend time and save money with other ways and other efforts than
changing the board structure.
Williamsville
By Linda Hughes
A political science expert, a Sangamon County board member and a board candidate led a discussion on the
question of cutting the county board members from 29 to 15, held Tuesday at the Williamsville Community Center.
Kent Redfield, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, spoke, while
proponent Scott Saunders, county board candidate, and opponent Todd Smith, county board member, were on
opposite sides of the measure.
The advisory referendum will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Saunders began by saying that 29 on a county board is the maximum allowed by state law and is too many for
this county’s population.
“It’s way too many voices,” he said.
Taxpayers would save $100,000 a year if half the members were eliminated, Saunders said. The board has
asked front line employees to take volunteer early retirement, but it continues to pay part-time politicians, he said.
He noted a number of possible uses for the money saved.
The candidate said the board has 15 standing committees, during whose meetings everything is done. There
is no discussion at board meetings. The press and public could get more involved if most committee meetings
were not in the afternoon.
The Farm Bureau asked him to look into the question and give an analysis, Redfield said. There is no ideal
size for a legislative body, he added. Away from the extremes, there are tradeoffs.
Redfield said he is skeptical about changing the structure just to fix something.
“Absent a huge problem,” he said he is reluctant to give up the present board composition. “There are huge
pluses the way the county board operates.”
He added that he is skeptical of the costs savings over time.
“The more representative and perspectives … we’re better off,” Redfield said. “I’m reluctant to make a major
structural change absent a huge pressing problem.”
Smith represents District 2 on the board, which includes Williamsville, Sherman and Andrew. He said the
county runs efficiently; the board is prudent and fiscally conservative.
The committees oversee the various county departments, and the 15 committees allow members to look
closely at those departments.
“Would you want a representative of Thayer or Curran representing your interests?” he asked.
With a smaller board, communities could possibly lose representation. “That is too big a risk,” as he also
questioned the monetary savings.
Redfield said that with 29 districts each one is more homogenous — “people with common interests.”
Loss of representation is a big issue for rural communities, Smith commented. He said if an issue affects rural
communities, he is able to join other board members and thus have a louder voice for rural issues.
Saunders recalled that in his business, “the more voices, the longer everything took.” He wondered why you pay
someone $7,500 just because they may have an idea, and asserted, “No one will lose any representation.”
“Your county board is functioning affectively through the committee process,” Smith said. “We get down to
business in the committee …we put forth recommendations.”
Any board member can go to any committee meeting.
“In our effective form of government we get the job done at the committee level,” he said.
One argument for the reduction says that we get rid of 14 politicians, Redfield said. “I don’t view local
government that way. Local government is where people get engaged in politics.”
An audience member, Roger Cooper, said he is not willing to trade less representation for agriculture for a little
bit of rock salt.
“I don’t think you will get less representation,” Saunders replied.
“I don’t want Thayer to represent me,” Cooper said.
“One town doesn’t have anything to do with what another town does,” Saunders asserted.
Audience member John Swinford, a Williamsville village board trustee, asked if a cost benefit analysis had been
done on the possible change.
Referring to one proposed redistricting map, Swinford said that instead of representing three communities, a
board member would have to be familiar with a large area, making it difficult to be as familiar with the concerns
and issues as he or she is now. Referring to Smith’s representation, he said, “We are pretty happy with the way
things are.”
The needs of county roads are not that different no matter where they are, Saunders countered. Getting beans
to the elevator in Loami is the same as elsewhere. He said that 98 percent of people don’t call their board rep.
Cooper said the Williamsville area is growing, but that a lot of rural communities are declining in population.
“Our life is totally different,” he noted. A rep from an area in decline “wouldn’t have a clue.”
Cooper said he thinks the county can spend time and save money with other ways and other efforts than
changing the board structure.
Issue Date: Oct. 30, 2008