A referendum to eliminate the elected office of McLean County auditor doesn’t appear to have much opposition, but that doesn’t mean it will pass. It’s the second time in the last decade people will vote on the issue.
Four nonpartisan groups started a “Vote Yes” campaign to convince residents to remove the role, and no group is currently opposing. Meanwhile, many of the county board members and candidates — Democrat and Republican — have said they plan to vote yes.
Vote YES campaign groups — the McLean County Citizens for Government Accountability, the McLean County Farm Bureau, the League of Women Voters and the McLean County Mayors Association — are leaning into the apparent lack of opposition as a selling point.
"I’m kind of at a loss why anybody would not vote yes on this referendum, and apparently so are the Republicans and the Democrats on the board who voted unanimously to put the issue before the voters, because it can only be changed by the voters,” said Tom Powers, a leader in the MC Citizens for Government Accountability.
Arguments for the referendum
Arguments in favor of the referendum include that removing the office should eliminate redundant work in the county and save taxpayer dollars. Last year, the auditor made $102,700, according to the 2023 McLean County Total Compensation Report.
Also, the Vote Yes groups highlight that more than 85% of counties no longer elect their auditor — a statistic County Administrator Cassy Taylor originally presented to the county board as background on the referendum.
Powers highlighted that the auditor’s role is specialized and should have certain qualifications, such as a financial background.
“They're a technician, and as such, should be hired carefully with performance criteria in place, and then, if they're not doing their job, fired,” he explained.
Little opposition
Current County Auditor Michelle Anderson is seemingly against the ballot, as she’s simultaneously running for another term. She's unopposed, so if the referendum doesn't pass, she'll more than likely continue in the role.
However, she ignored multiple WGLT requests for comment and has not made her official stance clear through any campaign messaging.
A few McLean County Board candidates were undecided on the referendum, such as Republican candidate in District 10 Mark Clauss who said he sees how removing the position could save the county money but the role may be necessary.
Republican Chad Berck is the only candidate WGLT spoke to who was firmly against removing an internal auditor. He said rather than taking the office out of the county, the voters should implement rules and regulations for conduct. Otherwise, he thinks the auditor is following the duties set forth.
“In a great county like this, a phenomenal county that's following the constitutional law, why change what's worked for — since forever?” Berck said.
Recent issues with Anderson
In County Board member Eric Hansen’s eyes, things aren’t currently working out. He pointed out that Anderson “has historically not been doing the tenets of her job,” costing the county money in late fees or missed grant opportunities.
“That’s a waste of taxpayer dollars and we can reorganize the responsibilities at administrative levels,” he said.
Taylor said she’s not sure the county has had to pay any late fees for bills, but she does know of situations where late fees were incurred. Department heads and other county officials worked out payment agreements to avoid the added charges.
WGLT also previously reported that delayed approval from the auditor’s office on multiple grant agreements caused strain between the county and its community partners. Many of the issues have been credited to how Anderson conducts business, with some pointing out that she has been known to change longstanding practices at whim.
Taylor said the county wants to change some of the auditor’s practices, such as making approvals via physical paperwork rather than electronic mail.
“Our preference is to become more electronic in our processes,” she said, adding that the county is getting close to choosing a vendor on a contract for an Enterprise Resource Planning [ERP] System, which will be implemented regardless of whether the elected office of the county auditor is eliminated.
The new ERP System should help the county transition if the referendum passes, Taylor said, as it can absorb some of the auditor’s current responsibilities. Two or three other departments can do the rest, she added.
“There are some functions that can be absorbed by the treasurer's office,” Taylor said. “There are some functions that could be absorbed by county administration in our role. We also are still going to have accounting specialist staff for accounts (payable).”
Regardless of what happens with the vote, Taylor said there will still be “checks and balances on our spending within the county” and there will be “a close watch on government funds."
“Nothing is going to change in that aspect,” she said.
Voting on the referendum
The League of Women Voters said people may forget or choose not to vote on the issue because it’s the last question on the ballot. Laurie Bergner with the League said it’s also complex.
“It just does not rise up as something very important or understandable to a lot of people,” she said. “There’s a lot of things to pay attention to, and it's kind of hidden, in a sense.”
However, the group is encouraging people to educate themselves and vote yes.
Early voting is ongoing and Election Day is Nov. 5.
