By WMBD TV

MCLEAN COUNTY – The fate of the McLean County Auditor’s position is in the hands of voters come election day.

There’s a referendum on the ballot to eliminate the current elected position.

“When I vote for somebody, I’m voting because that person will represent my views and try to make a difference within the community with their policies,” said Tom Powers, chair of MC Citizens for Government Accountability. “Well that’s not what an auditor is. An auditor is a technician.”

In June, the county’s executive committee unanimously voted to put the referendum on the ballot. The proposal from the committee said the county would save money by eliminating redundant functions. The county board unanimously agreed to put it on the ballot but simplified the language by removing the reasons for the possible elimination.

“The board is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. One hundred percent voted to put this initiative on the ballot,” Powers said. “How often do you hear Republicans and Democrats coming together on anything? Well they did on this issue.”

Following the June board meeting, board vice-chair Elizabeth Johnston said the next best steps would later be decided for auditing the county.

“What’s happening in the administrative office, what they’ve told me is that they are doing a review of best practices,” Johnston said. “So, we’ll be looking at best practices to make sure that our internal controls stay in place and we will retain that external auditor to do the annual audit. So, we will have that kind of outside eyes looking to make sure that everything is clear.”

The current county auditor Michelle Anderson has not responded to WMBD’s requests for an interview. She is currently running unopposed for another term. A passed referendum will supersede her results meaning she cannot complete another term.

WMBD can be reached at [email protected].