By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Some Democrats on the McLean County Board say politics unfairly dictated who got the plum assignments to committee leadership positions.

Democrat Paul Segobiano of Bloomington objected to what he saw as a purely political process.

“It’s very unfortunate that we can overlook individuals based on political affiliation,” Segobiano said. “It’s very unfortunate that has creeped here into McLean County.”

Segobiano said fellow Democrat Erik Rankin of Bloomington should have been promoted to head of the Finance Committee when Board member Ben Owens resigned. The post instead went to County Board Vice Chairman Jim Soeldner, a Republican from Ellsworth.

“Snubbed? Sure, but I live to fight another day,” Rankin said. “I still have a lot of really good committee assignments. It just gets difficult at a time when you have served admirably as a vice chair and get overlooked.”

Rankin will remain vice chairman.

County Board Chairman John McIntyre said assignments were chosen based on a number of factors including experience and party balance.

“This really hasn’t been a big issue,” McIntyre said. “(Political affiliation) is something we will always take into consideration and I have done that.”

Republicans outnumber Democrats on the board by a 13-to-6 margin following Owens’ resignation last month.

The County Board approved the assignments in a 12-4 vote. All four ‘no’ votes came from Democrats. George Gordon, who was reappointed chairman of the Land Use and Development Committee, was the only Democrat to approve the changes. Segobiano heads the Property Committee and is the only other Democrat who chairs a committee.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].