By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – McLean County Board Chairman John McIntyre quoted Charles Dickens in summing up the first six months of the year for the county.
PODCAST: Listen to McIntyre’s address to McLean County Republicans.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” McIntyre told county Republican Party leaders at their monthly breakfast at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center.
He highlighted some of the best which he said was the county’s efforts in improving mental health care and the planning of a jail expansion along with the county’s strong bond rating and steady tax rate.
On the down side, the County Board has had to fill four vacancies this year, including that of chairman.
“This has required a lot of reshuffling, internal jockeying for positions and some consternation from some of my fellow members if they haven’t gotten the positions they deemed as being important.”
McIntyre added the state continues to lag behind in paying what it owes McLean County. The state owes the county $632,000 for probation services and about $300,000 for child support enforcement.
“Ironically, both of these payments were designated by the state to reduce expenditures that would otherwise be incurred by the state Department of Corrections,” McIntyre said. “How contradictory is that?”
McIntyre also referenced what he called ‘ridiculous’ the county’s public spat with Health Department Director Walt Howe who now faces new performance goals which a revamped Board of Health enacted.
“It’s been a personal challenge for me, and obviously one of the things that has not been fun,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre estimated the county’s efforts to resolve the dispute with Howe has taken up “30 to 40 percent” of he and County Administrator Bill Wasson’s time in recent weeks.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
