PHOTO BY DEAN OLSEN
Donna Massey, heart, mom of the late Sonya Massey, addresses the Sangamon County Board on Jan. 13 as a part of an finally unsuccessful effort to place a binding referendum on April 1 ballots to ascertain voter recall for the county sheriff. Donna Massey was accompanied by pals Teresa Haley, left, and Margaritta Fultz.
Sangamon County voters on April 1 will determine whether or not to get rid of the workplace of recorder of deeds and switch its duties to the county clerk, efficient Dec. 1, 2026.
The timeline of the vote and its influence have been completely different from what was initially proposed by Republican leaders of the GOP-controlled County Board. However Democrats on the board stated the plan, if accepted by a majority of voters, would perform a marketing campaign promise of newly elected Republican Recorder Frank Lesko to “rent me to fireside me.”
The County Board’s 24-2 choice finalized the referendum at its Jan. 13 assembly, the final day the board had an opportunity to place a referendum on the following election poll. The transfer represented a uncommon win for Democrats in altering the desire of GOP leaders.
“I feel Mr. Lesko’s marketing campaign promise ought to be upheld, and we should always permit him and permit voters of Sangamon County to have the ultimate say as quickly as doable to save lots of the taxpayers cash,” board member Anthony DelGiorno, a Springfield Democrat, stated earlier than the ultimate vote.
Lesko was elected to a four-year time period in November 2024 by solely 31 votes over longtime incumbent Democrat Josh Langfelder for the $113,936-a-year job. Langfelder opposed Lesko’s plan to merge the recorder’s workplace with the clerk’s workplace, at the moment led by Republican Don Grey.
When requested whether or not Democrats who backed Langfelder might be accused by Republicans of insincerity, DelGiorno stated after the assembly, “You would say disingenuous. … We’re simply serving to them preserve their marketing campaign promise. They didn’t need the workplace within the first place? Superb. We’ll do away with it. We’ll put it to the individuals to vote on that.”
Rural Rochester resident Tom Madonia Jr., the board’s Republican vice chairperson, initially proposed an modification to DelGiorno’s unique decision that might have delayed a referendum on the query till November 2026.
Madonia’s modification additionally known as for a examine to information the transition and would have folded the recorder’s workplace duties into the clerk’s workplace on Dec. 1, 2028, on the finish of Lesko’s time period.
A Democratic effort to defeat Madonia’s modification outright failed in a vote that adopted celebration strains, prompting DelGiorno to inform Republicans, “You’re defending Frank Lesko for 4 freakin’ years.”
PHOTO BY DEAN OLSEN
Sangamon County Board member Anthony DelGiorno on Jan. 13 protests adjustments that have been proposed by a Republican board member to DelGiorno’s decision on consolidating the duties of the county recorder with the county clerk’s workplace. A lot of the adjustments have been overturned earlier than the County Board gave closing approval to place a binding referendum on the matter on April 1 ballots.
DelGiorno’s proposal called for a referendum on the difficulty in April 2025 and elimination of the recorder’s workplace on April 1, 2026.
However Board Chair Andy Van Meter, a Springfield Republican, favored a 2028 sundown for the recorder’s workplace to permit for a examine and a easy transition.
“I personally assume that is rushed and never advisable,” Van Meter stated earlier than the ultimate vote. Van Meter didn’t forged a vote on the measure. The board’s guidelines name for the chairperson to not vote besides to interrupt a tie.
DelGiorno stated most counties in Illinois, together with Champaign County in December 2021, have consolidated their recorder’s and clerk’s workplaces, so a delay till 2028 wasn’t justified, and a examine would waste taxpayers’ cash.
A sequence of amendments to Madonia’s unique modification, and debate on the professionals and cons, ultimately yielded bipartisan assist to place the concept in entrance of voters on April 1 and, if a majority of voters approve, get rid of the recorder’s workplace in December 2026.
DelGiorno stated afterward that he was “shocked” the tweaks proposed by Democrats have been profitable.
“Frequent sense received, for as soon as,” he stated.
Madonia ended up voting for the ultimate, amended proposal, saying, “I’m pleased with the compromise.”
Lesko, who wasn’t current for the vote, stated he helps the April referendum and potential December 2026 elimination of his workplace although he campaigned with the expectation of a November 2026 referendum. He estimated the financial savings to taxpayers at between $200,000 and $400,000 via the elimination of his place and employees reductions via attrition.
Republicans did perform an anticipated defeat of a Democratic-sponsored decision to cease a referendum query from being positioned on the April poll that might have requested voters to create a course of for eradicating a future county sheriff mid-term via a recall election.
The recall option was impressed by the refusal of former sheriff Jack Campbell to resign within the wake of the July 6 killing of Woodside Township resident Sonya Massey by a sheriff’s deputy who later was fired. Campbell, a Republican, determined to retire amid the uproar.
The 7-19 defeat of Democratic board member Sam Cahnman’s decision noticed solely Democrats voting for the measure regardless of pleas to ascertain recall via an April 1 binding referendum.
These pleas got here from the general public, Massey’s household and the citizen fee the board shaped within the wake of the nationally publicized killing of Massey.
Republicans indicated they agreed with Van Meter, who stated state regulation is unclear whether or not Sangamon County, as a non-home-rule unit of presidency, has the ability to enact a recall course of for sheriff or every other countywide official.
“Personally, I don’t assume that’s a accountable place to take,” Van Meter stated.
He informed Republicans throughout their caucus earlier than the common board assembly that any future sheriff ousted via recall may problem the method in court docket and probably overturn the efforts of roughly 8,000 county residents who could be wanted to signal petitions triggering a countywide recall vote.
“That is actually ill-advised,” Van Meter stated. He stated the best choice could be to name on the Illinois Normal Meeting to vary state regulation and provides non-home-rule counties express energy to ascertain recall for elected officers.
Van Meter’s assertion and opinion on the county’s recall rights have been backed up by Assistant State’s Legal professional Joel Benoit, the board’s authorized adviser.
Republicans even have voiced considerations concerning the authorized bills the county may incur in defending what Van Meter stated might be “an enormous lawsuit over whether or not this energy exists.”
Democrats and the general public informed the board the authorized dangers have been value it to assist restore belief within the sheriff’s division.
Republicans additionally used their majority on the board to show down a Democratic proposal that the board ask State’s Legal professional John Milhiser, additionally a Republican, to request an opinion from the Illinois legal professional normal on the county’s proper to ascertain recall for the sheriff.
Milhiser beforehand declined a request from Democrats on the board to hunt an legal professional normal opinion, which isn’t binding in court docket. Milhiser informed Democrats he agreed with Benoit’s opinion, in line with DelGiorno.
Cahnman’s decision to ascertain recall via referendum failed, 7-19, even after Massey’s mom, Donna Massey of Springfield, and household pal Teresa Haley, former president of the NAACP’s Springfield department, requested passage on behalf of Sonya Massey’s household.
Donna Massey, 68, who dabbed tears from her eyes through the assembly, walked as much as the rostrum with Haley and stated, “I don’t know why I’m right here ’trigger you ain’t going to get nothing from me however tears.”
Haley then stated, “Please do the proper factor, County Board. This isn’t about politics. That is about individuals. That is a few human being.”
Rural Springfield resident Don Hanrahan stated it will be “ludicrous” for the board to disclaim voters the prospect to weigh in on the recall course of due to considerations a few authorized problem with an unsure final result.
He requested the board to approve the referendum query and quell his skepticism that the board created the Massey Fee solely to “diffuse the professional anger of the individuals and to channel their calls for for develop into some protected harbor of infinite trivialities and do-nothingism.”
Fee member Calvin Christian III, a neighborhood journalist, informed the board on behalf of the fee {that a} potential authorized problem is an “acceptable threat.”
“To dismiss this suggestion would undermine not solely the work of the fee but additionally the religion that the residents of Sangamon County have positioned in each our fee and the County Board,” Christian stated.
