The McLean County Clerk is punching back at what she says is a politically motivated attack on her office.
In a press conference Friday morning at the McLean County Government Center, Kathy Michael said a visit from Illinois State Police was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” in an ongoing tussle with the County Board, motivating her to speak out.
Michael said she hopes communication will improve with members, who in recent months have questioned her over spending last year.
“Just as you do in trying to guesstimate each year your yearly family budget, or your small or large office budget, you’re never gonna be spot on, are you?” Michael said. “But you give your best estimate, and sometimes we’re wrong.”
The clerk’s office has overspent the last four consecutive years, most recently, in fiscal year 2025, tallying a net loss of over $400,000.
“Our office was over our anticipated budget expenses — by a lot — and we should be questioned about that,” she said. “Raise some eyebrows. But over the years, also know this—and the county board knows this after 16 years: We never buy anything that we don’t need. We don’t buy Jacuzzis and foot massages. We buy election equipment.”
Michael previously attributed a large software purchase toward investing in efficiency measures that will save the office money over time. And she said 2025 was a particularly unusual year for overtime in her understaffed office.
"Department heads are expected to stay within budget, produce receipts of expenditures and account for the tax dollars they are spending," McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston said in a statement. "It is basic accountability to our residents. If the department is over budget, they are expected to have open communication with the board on the why and how to be transparent."
Michael said she feels positive about a new policy requiring more regular budget updates from department heads. A new records system will also flag items that are over budget.
Michael said she plans to request an additional salaried position from the board to balance overtime expenses. She said she also plans to inflate line items in the next budget by more than she thinks she’ll need to prevent overages.
Police questioning
Michael said her office was visited this week by Illinois State Police, who questioned a staff member about overtime.
Overtime accounted for more than one-fourth of the $400,000 overage. Michael did not say who the staff person questioned was.
Without directly implicating county Democrats, Michael said she aims to find out who tipped off police. Illinois State Police said it does not comment on the substance of ongoing investigations.
“For those who continue to run people down in this county without facts, I say, ‘Game on.’ But this is no game. This is life, and no one will deter me, harass me or bully me from facing it head on with the facts.”
Johnston declined to comment on the police investigation or personnel matters.
Michael reiterated that 2025 had been an unusual year for overtime pay.
One full time staff member was forced out when police learned he'd been viewing child pornography at work. The staffer, Bradley Beyer, is charged with 34 felony counts and currently detained in McLean County jail.
‘It was a set up’
Michael repeatedly noted her budget amendments, incorporating overtime overages, were approved by the board last month during a meeting they expected Michael to attend to account for added expenditures and overtime.
She said she is not required to reimburse the county for the extra spending. In a phone call, Johnston said the clerk's office is carrying a balance borrowed against the general fund that will appear in the county's external audit.
Michael said she was denied a requested extension and responded to questions by email.
“I reached out to all members of finance and exec[utive committees] to come and talk with us, bring questions,” she said. “I asked board chair Lizzy Johnston if we could make our presentation in May, rather than April, due to our election deadlines and our other division deadlines that were pressing in April. She did respond to that email, indicating that wouldn’t work for her.”
Michael said she then suggested meeting in small groups in her office, to which she said she was told “that’s not the best use of time.
“At that point, it was obvious that this situation had turned political,” she said. “It was a set-up."
Emails sent to WGLT by Michael confirm the exchange. Johnston said the April deadline applied to an internal deadline required by all departments to have accounts settled as the county prepares its external audit.
"The committee structure was designed to be the most efficient way to communicate information with established times to ease scheduling burdens," Johnston said in one email to Michael. "We will all be available to discuss the information presented at the April executive committee. This will allow us to remain on schedule for the external audit."
Michael is running for a fifth term on the Republican ticket for McLean County Clerk. When originally questioned by the majority-Democrat county board, she was running unopposed. McLean County Democrats have since slated Joshua Crocket as Michael’s opponent in November.
