By Judy Buchanan
“Does anyone really know, does anyone really care” – lyrics made popular by the group Chicago decades ago remind me of a recent discussion by our McLean County Board. The topic precipitated by a letter composed by several county board members to move the board meeting time from morning to evening became a very decisive proposal.
Supporters of the move hoped it would encourage more members of the public to attend county board meetings and become more informed on county government.
The full County Board, after discussion and public comment, voted to continue to meet at 9 a.m. While it is not my intention to speak to the wisdom of continuing to meet in the mornings or move to a later time, I suggest that we – citizens, voters, taxpayers of our communities should care about county government and their more than $90 million annual budget.
You might be surprised to know that attendance at a 9 a.m. County Board meeting wouldn’t disrupt your regular schedule too much as the regular board meetings usually begin and adjourn within one hour. With all due respect to our county board members whose service is appreciated, their regular meetings are short, generally cut and dry and – yes, can be boring.
This is not to suggest there is anything resembling a rubber stamp mentality among the board, quite the contrary if you observe members in committee discussion. And this is my point for those who want to be in the know. There are seven active committees of the board – and with one exception, all meet in the late afternoon. This is where lengthy discussion of issues including criminal justice, health care, land use and roads occur. Members discuss policy, expenditures and recommend budgets for the various services provided by the county.
While I fully expect the topic of changing the board meeting time to return, however for now, anyone interested in gaining substantial information of an item of interest, it’s the committee meeting you should attend. Information of meeting times and agenda are posted on the county’s website.
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