McLean County Board

The chair of the McLean County Board said the recent awarding of $1.7 million in mental health and human service funding shows the potential of an intergovernmental agreement using shared tax money to improve the community.

A Republican colleague said George Wendt will be a remembered as a “stalwart advocate” of conservative principles on the McLean County Board.

Mental Health and Public Safety Fund awards range from $30,000 to $650,000, and will go to groups such as Home Sweet Home Missions, Lifelong Access, and The Baby Fold.

Crockett said it's time for a fresh face in the office and he wants to do innovative things other county clerks do, such as employ universal polling places.

The skirmishing between Democratic McLean County Board members and Republican McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael continued as Michael did not appear before the board Executive Committee Monday afternoon.

The City of Bloomington and Central Illinois Regional Airport [CIRA] have both said there are no redevelopment plans at the location rumored to become a data center in southeast Bloomington.

The McLean County Board could decide to claw back more than $400,000 in budget overruns from County Clerk Kathy Michael's office. Board chair Elizabeth Johnston said depending on what invoices and other documentation Michael submits in the next month, the county general fund may need to be reimbursed.

McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston said she disagrees, in part, with Twin City mayors Dan Brady and Chris Koos who have criticized the performance of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. Johnston said she thinks the EDC has delivered a lot of bang for the buck.

The amendment to the agreement — that also must be passed by Bloomington and Normal — will forgo the money that would come during April, May and June, said McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston.

McLean County Board members grilled County Clerk Kathy Michael for more than 40 minutes yesterday concerning more than $400,000 in budget overages in her office that Michael has asked the county to pay.