The Clark-Edgar Rural Water District issue has been extremely contentious over the years, and voters are just now discovering why some residents have paid tap-on fees and have not received water yet: Mismanagement within the agency’s funds, favoritism, and stubbornness.
EDGAR CO.—The Edgar County ballot for the November 6 General Election looks much the same as many downstate ballots do this year: many unchallenged offices where the challenge would have been welcome.
In the major offices of state’s attorney, circuit clerk and coroner, it’s a no-choice situation, as it is for most of the county board offices.
However, one ballot proposition has been placed on the Edgar County ballot, at least bringing choice to the people in the future.
State’s attorney’s race: four more years
In the race for state’s attorney, incumbent Republican Mark Isaf is unchallenged, a sad state of affairs as Isaf is another one of those attorneys who has had so little experience in defending the peoples’ rights as citizens that he is largely clueless over how to answer a general question.
Most recently, Isaf has ignored blatant corruption and official misconduct at the highest levels in Edgar County, mainly because he’s either totally unaware that what’s happening is actually a crime, or because he stands in stubborn opposition to those citizens who are uncovering the wrongdoing and denies giving them straight answers on the basis of that stubbornness.
Isaf is among the worst of what state’s attorneys, who are considered the “top law enforcement agent of their county,” can be.
In Illinois Compiled Statutes, the state’s attorney’s job is outlined as that he “represents the people of the county in all crimes against persons or property.”
ILCS (55 ILCS 5/3-9005) states unequivocally that a state’s attorney SHALL prosecute crime when the evidence is presented before him.
They didn’t pay attention in grammar class
Unfortunately, most state’s attorneys in downstate Illinois apparently didn’t pay much attention in grammar class, as “shall” is an imperative, not a request or suggestion.
Ergo most state’s attorneys believe that “shall” mean “may or may not; depends on how I’m feeling” when it comes to prosecuting crime equally across the board.
Isaf is one of those who apparently didn’t pay attention in that particular class and doesn’t understand SHALL, as, in the case of Dee Burgin, and currently, alleged official misconduct on the part of Paris mayor Craig Smith and his buddies Jerry Branson and Bob Colvert.
The people are stuck with him for the next four years, unless, of course, Isaf is the one who is ultimately charged with wrongdoing by an agency higher than his; the possibility exists.
A couple of challenged board offices
No candidates have challenged Karen D. Halloran, Republican, for circuit clerk; nor for coroner, W. Peter Templeton, also a Republican.
However, in the county board races, there are two challenged offices.
In District Two, Democrat Terry Sullivan faces Republican D. Jeffry Voigt.
In District Six, Dem Alan Zuber faces Republican Terry Weger.
There are no challengers running in District One against Ben Jenness; District Three, Chris Patrick; District Four, Karl E. Farnham Jr.; District Five, Daniel W. Bruner; or District Seven, Mike Heltsley. All are Republicans.
Ballot question: IMPORTANT
The big ballot question in Edgar County will also be in Clark County.
The question is: “Shall the trustees of Clark-Edgar Rural Water District be elected rather than appointed?” Voters must choose ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
This situation emerged when Edgar County Watchdogs began investigating fraud, waste and abuse within the 22-year Clark-Edgar Rural Water District a few months ago and found staggering discrepancies within audits conducted on the group’s finances.
The group is to be run as a non-profit, but it would appear that many on the board who have been there for the entire two decades have been using funds from the water service as their own little savings and loan, complete with automatic withdrawals, but no paper trail to speak of.
The place only just was registered with the state as a governmental entity providing a service, something that should have been done upon inception 22-plus years ago.
The lack of oversight is troubling and prompted efforts to create more oversight; getting the trustees elected will at least be a start. Up to this point, trustees have been appointed by the respective county boards, leading to a “doing favors” kind of thing that is so pervasive in Edgar County and is what’s causing the taxpayers to pay egregious property tax, services, and other fees just to keep up with the filching that’s endemic in the county on all levels, with all agencies.
Electricity proposition
The other proposition on the Edgar County ballot is that of the Opt-Out Energy Aggregation Program, this specifically for the city of Paris.
As on other ballot propositions this year, this proposition gives the municipality the opportunity to create an “aggregation program” wherein a larger purchase of electricity can be made for a group of customers, then the savings created by the bulk purchase of electricity can be passed along to those within the aggregate (residents and businesses in the municipality or county).
If the referendum passes—per area or overall—the program can take effect as early as January 2013.
Customers don’t have to switch to the aggregate, and have an “opt-out” option wherein they can continue to purchase their electricity straight from the provider.
There’s probably some kind of catch to it, but Disclosure’s inspection into the matter didn’t locate one if it exists. It sounds like a good idea, lowering utility costs for the users in the area…but do your own research on the matter before voting.