The chair of the McLean County Board said he hopes to turn down the heated political rhetoric after a contentious election.
After an election which saw five newcomers win County Board seats, Chairman John McIntyre said he's been talking with members about bipartisanship and healing wounds following the campaign.
“I’ve spent some time with (County Board members). Things get a little edgy on some things right after the election and prior to the election,” McIntyre said. “This has been a tough one. This has been a tough one for both sides because of the divisiveness. Now we have to put things back together and work together more.”
Democrats picked up two seats on the County Board. It will still have a 13-7 Republican majority when new members are sworn in next month.
Those incoming Democrats have called for changing the board's meeting times as a way to make it more accessible to the public.
McIntyre said he thinks the county has more important things to worry about.
“For someone to say we are going to make change, I say fine, we always need to have change at times. Tell me what it is,” McIntyre said. “If it’s meeting times, are there other things that you know about our board that goes on that maybe are a little bit more important than what time we meet?”
McIntyre noted his priorities in the coming years are to look for ways to expand mental health services in the county and to monitor the finances of the county-run nursing home. It's been implementing a series of changes designed to curtail major financial losses.
McIntyre said he also plans to seek another term as County Board chairman.
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