PEORIA, Ill. – A battle of sorts is continuing between elected officials in Peoria County government.
At issue is a proposal in next fiscal year’s budget to cut three positions in County Auditor Jessica Thomas’ office, leaving just Thomas.
County Board Vice Chair Jim Fennell says the office can be run more efficiently, but Thomas says the county board Executive Committee went about it all wrong.
“It was a procedural change we made in the Executive Committee that we decided,” Fennell said Tuesday. “It was bottlenecks that were….”
“Was that Executive Committee [meeting] public?” Thomas asked, interrupting Fennell.
“Yes, it was,” Fennell answered.
“It was a public meeting, so I can find it?” Thomas said. “All the meetings I’ve had access to, I’ve never seen any questions surriounding that.”
Fennell claims he’s wanted to have a meeting with Thomas to discuss the cuts. Thomas claims that meeting had to be cancelled for personal reasons and wasn’t rescheduled despite her requests.
Thomas claims that changes to her office proposed in next year’s budget were made illegally, while Jim Fennell says they were done in open meetings.
Fennell says he has taxpayers at heart.
“I think this demonstrates that the county continues its long history of balancing good stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars, and being labor-friendly,” said Fennell, reading from a prepared statement. “It is unfortunate that the County Auditor has chosen to make these budget deliberations personal, instead of looking at the best for the taxpayer.”
Fennell claims while three union jobs are being cut, more are proposed to be added in other areas, and believes that with most accounts payable processes being automated anyway, there’s no need for four people in Thomas’ office.
The Peoria County Board votes on the budget October 14th.
