Two Democrats oppose “routine” county board appointment

Posted on September 18, 2019

Former McLean County Board member Ryan Scritchlow when he was sworn into office in September 2017.
(WJBC file photo)

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – What was intended to be a routine matter for the McLean County Board Tuesday evening turned out not to be so routine.

Former Republican County Board member Ryan Scritchlow’s appointment to become an alternate on the County Zoning Board of Appeals was pulled from the consent agenda for a roll call vote, a highly unusual maneuver according to a long-time county official.

The County Board voted 17-2 supporting Scritchlow, but Democrats Laurie Wollrab and Shayna Watchinski voted no.

As a member of the Board’s Land Use Committee, Wollrab said Scritchlow should have not have voted on a recycling issue because his business posed a potential conflict of interest.

He is owner of Scritchlow Enterprises, a Bloomington-based landscaping and construction firm.

Scritchlow was appointed to the county board in September 2017, but lost to Democrat Sharon Chung in last year’s election for the District 7 seat.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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