UPDATE, Sept. 29, 2021: Here's an excellent story by a WCBU-FM reporter: https://www.wcbu.org/local-news/2021-09-28/this-is-america-peorians-speak-out-against-county-board-plan-to-slash-auditor-office-staff
UPDATE, Sept 28, 2021: The rally went well with many people defending Jessica Thomas. In an off-the-record conversation, a board member said Thomas has never found anything wrong with the county's finances. My response: good, that's why she is there. I have seen government bodies in the past told only what they wanted to hear by hired auditors, who ignored corruption. The elected Auditor is responsible only to taxpayers.
-- Elaine Hopkins
PEORIA, IL -- From an Indivisible post: (See rally info below.)
"County Auditors are becoming an endangered species. They are fiscal watchdogs who answer to the voters, not to the county boards who are spending the county's tax dollars.
Some county boards would rather not have this kind of independent oversight and look for ways to eliminate this position. It has happened in a number of counties in Illinois.
Please read below about the current attempt to reduce, drastically, the funding for the Peoria County Auditor office and call your board member to voice your concerns. Remember that an elected County Auditor answers to you, serves you and all the voters, and does not owe his/her position to the County Board. All details and instructions are below.
Thanks.
Jean Sloan
Indivisible Peoria Area
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The People of Peoria County voted for fiscal accountability and transparency when they voted specifically to retain the elected office of County auditor -- position and staff -- in 2018 (whether to retain the office was a question on the ballot) and elected Jessica Thomas to fill the position.
Now the independent fiscal oversight chosen by County voters is in limbo due to an attempt to starve the position of funding. Please support the voter-accountable, elected Auditor position here in Peoria County! And one more consideration is the union jobs at the Auditor office are at stake.
>>> ATTEND RALLY
Rally on Monday, September 27th
@ the Peoria County Courthouse at 4:30pm for an informational picket by the Abraham Lincoln statute, outside the Peoria County Court house. We need to send a message that independent fiscal oversight is the choice of the voters and that the dedicated union workers in the Auditor's office should be retained.
>>> CALL YOUR COUNTY BOARD MEMBER
DEADLINES: Call before Executive Committee meeting Tuesday, September 28 2pm (best). Or before next Peoria County Board Meeting, Thurs, October 14, 2021 at 6pm.
ASK THEM TO VOTE TO REINSTATE FUNDING FOR THE ELECTED AUDITOR AND STAFF. THE CURRENT DRAFT COUNTY BUDGET IS MISSING THIS IMPORTANT LINE ITEM. IF YOU AGREE, TELL THEM THAT YOU DO NOT SUPPORT ELIMINATION OF THE AUDITOR FUNDING (TO BE INSTEAD GIVEN TO AN UNACCOUNTABLE OFFICE OF THE TREASURY).
In an intentional power-play against transparency and good government oversight, the current draft budget nearly eliminates funding for the elected Auditor position and staff members, thereby removing properly funded, effective independent review of how the board actually spends public money.
The elected Auditor position has been an “accountable to the voters” position to support relative transparency and aligned follow up government actions and to reduce cronyism.
The best ways to support reinstatement of this voter-supportive budget line item, are to make calls and send emails to the voting County Board members in support of the elected Auditor position and staff.
A Letter to the Editor reaches a wider audience who may become moved to call or email their County Board member. The opposition forces have drafted the budget with funding to an un-accountable Office of the Treasurer instead, which operates in ways much less responsive to public concerns.
Who is your county board member? Click here. Then see just below.
The Peoria County website lists board member names/addresses/phone numbers/emails. To find your Board Member’s name and your district, find the link in the list at the left for “FIND MY BOARD MEMBER” and click. WAIT for the map page to fully load, then type in your address, choose the correct address from the list of results. A list of all your elected officials will appear. Click on 'County Board Member' for the member's name and your district number. Go back to the main list for your member's contact info."
I support the Auditor.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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