McLean County Board members split along party lines Thursday over changes to the county’s precinct maps. One county board member argued for two voting precincts to be eliminated, and the county clerk said her office had little to do with the precinct-drawing process.
In other business, the board delayed a vote on a proposed agreement to install license plate cameras just outside of LeRoy in county jurisdiction.
Precinct maps
The process of drawing new precinct maps is done following the once-every-decade redistricting process. It does not move any county board district boundaries.
The board’s 10 Democrats approved a precinct map that was commissioned by the county’s GIS department. The vote was 10-9. That vote came after Republicans tried to pass an alternate map that had two fewer precincts and different voter counts in seven of the remaining 79 precincts.
Both votes went 10-9 along party lines. Republican Jim Soeldner was absent from the meeting.
Following the vote, Republican George Wendt, who was participating remotely via phone, interrupted the proceedings several times to call for a change to the precinct map that already had passed. He wanted to eliminate one of three precincts in Bloomington Township and one of four precincts in Randolph Township.
“We don’t need that. We get along very well with the three and it works,” said Wendt, adding that additional precincts cost the county additional money to pay poll workers.
County board chair John McIntyre told him his proposal was out of order because the precinct maps had already been adopted; county assistant state’s attorney Trevor Sierra agreed.
The board moved to adjourn the meeting as Wendt continued to talk over board members in his efforts to get a revote.
Republican board member Geoff Tompkins criticized what he called the county’s lack of transparency in drawing the precinct maps, comparing it to the exhaustive process the county undertook to redraw county’s district maps after the 2020 election.
“The whole thing was just rather quick and mysterious,” Tompkins said.
County clerk Kathy Michael, whose office oversees all voting in the county outside of Bloomington, responded by scolding board members for not seeking input from the clerk’s office in setting new precinct maps.
“I want to make one thing clear, the county clerk’s office did not offer much input into this and none of you came to me asking,” said Michael.
County administrator Cassy Taylor had no comment about Michael’s claim, and indicated the proposed maps were posted on the county’s website.
License plate cameras
The board voted 10-9 without discussion to delay until next month a proposed agreement with the city of LeRoy to install license plate cameras along Lexington-LeRoy Road.
Republican Catherine Metsker requested the delay to allow more time to have questions answered about the plan.
The vote to delay was more mixed. Republicans McIntyre, Wendt, Metsker, Lyndsay Bloomfield, Chuck Erickson, William Friedrich, Adam Reeves, Susan Schafer joined Democrats Elizabeth Johnston and Val Laymon in requesting the delay.
After the meeting, LeRoy Police Chief Jason Williamson said he wasn’t sure what changes board member might want because no board members have contacted him with questions or concerns.
“This was the county’s contract that they proposed to us, so whatever (changes they want), we would take a look at it and make sure that it works out for what we need,” Williamson said.
The county’s role is for the highway department to assist with the camera’s placement.
McIntyre said while some board members appear to have philosophical concerns about the cameras, others are concerned about the camera’s placement in a county right of way.
Williamson said the city requested the cameras outside of city limits because of a planned subdivision just north of city limits.
Taylor said some county board members want assurances the city would not change how the cameras are used without county board approval.
The American Civil Liberties Union has raised concerns about privacy rights based on how the data from license plate cameras will be shared.
Williamson said the department shares data with other law enforcement agencies and information is stored for only 30 days.
He said LeRoy police use the data to check against state and national lists for Amber alerts, stolen vehicles, stolen license plates, stolen vehicles, vehicles used in crimes, and other offenses.
The city has had two of the cameras set up between Sunset Drive and Interstate 74 since last year.
“Those (cameras) have been very successful in identifying stolen vehicles and a vehicle used in catalytic converter thefts,” said Williamson, adding license plate cameras also helped police in Rantoul rescue a missing child who had been abducted and taken from Memphis, Tennessee.
Williamson said police chose the Lexington-LeRoy Road for the additional cameras because it was used as a “route of entry” for some recent crimes, including bank fraud and car burglaries. He said two suspects arrested in November 2021 following a string of car burglaries reportedly drove between Colfax and LeRoy on the LeRoy-Lexington blacktop.
Williamson said the license plate cameras cost $2,500 per year and the city has received a state grant to cover the cost for four years. The city also pays a $150 permitting fee to the county for each camera pole. He said the city’s first two cameras were partially paid for by a grant from the nonprofit McLean County Crime Detection Network.
Williamson said the department also has secured funding for additional license plate cameras it plans to install in the city.
Flock Safety has sold cameras to about 170 law enforcement agencies in Illinois, including Bloomington and Normal, according to company spokesperson Connor Metz.
Police emergency response team
In public comment, McLean County Libertarian Party chair Steve Suess raised concerns about a proposed mutual aid agreement between the McLean County Sheriff’s Office and Bloomington Police to create an emergency response unit called EAGLE (Emergency Assistance Group for Law Enforcement) to respond to life-threatening incidents.
“I have very serious concerns about how often and for what types of accused crimes this type of tactical team may be used for,” Suess said.
McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane said after the meeting he pulled the agenda item from the justice committee earlier this month so he could take time to answer board members questions. He said he plans to resubmit the proposal in July or August.
In other action, the board:
- Approved an agreement with Southern Bus & Mobility for a mobile medical unit for the McLean County Health Department. The vehicle, which will cost the county $265,000, will be used for vaccinations, children’s dental services, testing of sexually transmitted diseases and more.
- Approved the use of Comlara Park near Hudson for the Central Illinois Pup League and its parent organization, Ohio-based K-9 Frisbee, to host a frisbee toss and fetch league from June through August.
- Approved a resolution of congratulations to Kelly Carlson, who has worked 44 years in McLean County government, first as a circuit court clerk and later as a clerk in the sheriff’s office under the last five sheriffs, dating back to 1987.
