[Peace-discuss] More township democracy...

[C. G. Estabrook]

[I'm told that this is a somewhat tendentious account.  --CGE]

	Herald & Review (Decatur, IL)
	April 9, 2008
	Meeting collapses in chaos
	Decatur Township residents fall short in bid for change
	RON INGRAM
	H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR -- Decatur Township residents opposed to recent actions of the township 
board of trustees were at least one vote short throughout Tuesday evening as 
they sought to effect policy change during the annual town meeting. The friction 
began during the hearing on the fiscal 2009 township and township road district 
budgets conducted 30 minutes prior to the annual meeting. Township officials 
were questioned about the $775,000 in capital expenditures planned this year for 
remodeling the former Carter's Furniture, 1620 S. Taylorville Road, to serve as 
a township hall.

It continued until the annual meeting ended in a chorus of shouts, with most 
township board members and their supporters saying "Yes!" while their opponents 
were saying "No!" to a call by meeting moderator Vernon Talbott to adjourn.

Former Township Supervisor Mike Wakeland had been trying to gain the microphone 
to address the meeting when Talbott called for adjournment. Wakeland stood at 
the front of the room unheeded as he shouted, "No, no, no. Shame! Shame!"

The annual meeting did not begin well for the opponents, as their candidate for 
moderator, Macon County Board member Joe McGlaughlin, appeared to tie with 
Talbott at 25 votes for the key position that controls the meeting and decides 
who will speak. But Talbott had not voted, and when he did so, the tie was broken.

After the routine business was unanimously disposed of, Assistant State's 
Attorney Ken Boles moved to amend the meeting agenda to allow a vote on a 
resolution that would have directed the board to sell the former township animal 
shelter, 2400 N. Woodford St., to the county for $15,000 or 80 percent of the 
property's appraised price, whichever was more.

During the budget hearing, township Highway Commissioner Gordon Brenner asked 
why the township was paying rent to the county for space in the Macon County 
Office Building, 141 S. Main St., when the county had offered to charge $1 a 
month under a new lease.

Township Supervisor Vicki L. Sheets said if the township signed the lease, it 
would give up any claim to the $86,000 in damages the county owed on the former 
animal shelter. She said the township paid $2,000 to an architect to review the 
building and provide an estimate of damages.

The township's lease with the county stated that the building would be returned 
in the same condition in which the county received it. The township also spent 
about $157,000 in the 1980s remodeling the building to the county's 
specifications. The township contends the building was trashed by the county, 
which used it for about 50 years.

Sheets said she had met with the county board chairman and still hoped to work 
out a settlement of the damages. She said, "We hope not to sue the county."

Auto dealer Charlie Cox has offered to buy the old animal shelter for $15,000. 
He also offered to split the cost of appraising the property with the township. 
Both offers were rejected.

That was the backdrop for Boles' motion to sell the old shelter. The vote to add 
that item to the annual meeting agenda received 30 "yes" votes. State law 
provides 60 percent of the registered voters voting at the meeting have to agree 
to add an item to the agenda.

Based on the advice of township attorney Robert Uhl, Talbott said that since 51 
people voted for moderator, 60 percent of the electors present would be 31 
votes, and thus Boles' effort failed. The ruling stood, despite protestations 
from the audience that a number of people had left the meeting.

Uhl then said the meeting's poll list, a sign-in sheet of registered voters, 
should be used to determine the votes required. A check of the poll list found 
only 46 names. Uhl then reverted to the yardstick of 51 votes since that many 
ballots were cast for moderator.

After the chaotic ending to the meeting, Yvonne Hawkins, labor and industry 
committee chair for the Decatur branch of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People, took the podium to tell the audience that the 
branch is investigating the township for unfair labor practices to some present 
and former employees.

Hawkins did not say specifically who might be involved, other than the deputy 
township clerk, whose post she said was being reduced to a half-time position.
Wakeland then took the microphone to laud Sheets for attention to taxpayer funds 
and also to issue a plea for restraint.

"I encourage you to look at the practice of nepotism," Wakeland said. "I'm not 
casting aspersions on anybody. But it's a bad practice."

Ron Ingram can be reached at ringram at herald-review.com or 421-7973.

Copyright, 2008, Herald & Review, Decatur, IL

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=11FF39FFB2148A98&p_docnum=1