[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6155130,"mediaKeyId","5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778","parentId",5481058,"title","Out-of-county activists press Champaign County Board to adopt election-audit resolution; board takes no action","audioSeconds",717,"startMs",2471000,"endMs",3188000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778&start=2471&end=3188","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778/thumbnail_2471000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6155130/Champaign-County/Illinois/Out-of-county-activists-press-Champaign-County-Board-to-adopt-election-audit-resolution-board-takes-no-action","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155130-76cf52913061284d02891a18a618d7db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770449687&Signature=HpRLHzUhQ04qoPRUERWok8xyNjfY4DVlqUiFHa-dID0-PD4RYgj9UvgNa91i12YtbSm8uFZoaDCer8aO0jMxbC59wkFLEGdg3uR3eGg~NbYgzxNZOAuTIT88B9hUuGhmnByKl8q18LSCoN~d2KrWPWTtyI5UeD0mm-PR3LnGgSdobBHgPdXuMehtWx5dDiuxVJceJykiyv4WnMRcnjQMiRyQDqLJ6BxyXNkAn33MI3xtHKtKeq0rj7WtvBOLSTVAea0c80BcYbIWCrdfuqGh3zU1nR5CSrS4W-lujHDAxKe5tpKNVFEwA5ovDkkT6NAvkhOtjF-vBFRsEsrxeZxmDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Champaign County, IL","date","2025-07-26T05:05:59.3Z","article","A group of volunteers and organizers from Unite for Freedom and allied organizations used the public-comment portion of the Champaign County Board meeting to push for a local resolution calling for audits and procedural changes to election administration ahead of the 2026 general election.
Several out-of-county speakers presented an identical proposed resolution and cited a private audit of the Illinois 2024 general election files. Speakers included Brian Jones and Ken Zitko, who said the group's auditors measured irregularities in state-certified election files, and Babe Poxtus and Tom Kozick, who read sections of the proposed resolution aloud.
What was proposed: Speakers asked the county to adopt a resolution that would call for stricter voter-roll maintenance, verification of voter eligibility, chain-of-custody measures for ballots, and possible re-administration of elections that cannot be proven accurate. Speakers referenced the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the U.S. Constitution as legal bases for their request and cited Reynolds v. Sims in framing the importance of accurate voting rolls.
Board response and outcome: The board did not place the proposed resolution on the agenda or vote on it during the meeting. Board members indicated that such a resolution, if the board wished to consider it, would need to be placed on a future agenda and that the presenters were welcome to request an agenda slot for a fuller presentation.
Context and claims: Presenters said they had shared their findings with state election officials and law enforcement and had submitted evidence to litigation pending in federal court. The presenters provided large numerical claims during the public comment (for example, a number presented as \"1,045,659 votes improperly counted\"), but the board did not evaluate or adopt those figures at the meeting.
What to watch: The board will consider whether to schedule a formal agenda item for the resolution on a future meeting date; the presenters asked to be invited back with a full presentation and said materials are available on their website.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Champaign County Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","A coalition of volunteers from Unite for Freedom and allied groups urged the Champaign County Board to adopt a resolution demanding election-data audits and compliance steps for the 2026 general election; presenters cited audit figures and federal laws but the board did not place the item on the agenda during the meeting.","taxTitle","Champaign County, Illinois","taxId",2552,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155135,"Champaign County board raises alarm over auditor'office delays, directs administration to propose fixes",1256,5497000,6753000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778&start=5497&end=6753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778/thumbnail_5497000.jpg","/articles/6155135/Champaign-County/Illinois/Champaign-County-board-raises-alarm-over-auditoroffice-delays-directs-administration-to-propose-fixes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155135-37ec642a804fa61640ab539bcc78c9d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770449687&Signature=YYNMPLcFo5PD8VqR0CeMKkRhqOTXjNZ~oa2bWm84g0yByqZojZy9xL2CzBFlIYGAMXO6qBXo-DJgCWGeE8TM-7nV8IpH6f992C7~2teBWIGdpnnzTGCRQP50YNJSBUN5P3huZJZAOVl5U9hYEKapTY~gMocXrYGLmSKm2Bznt2gvFB~Xn5brAsLEOfjZRfI0UDsxxUb9riwW7cmSOXC-IevgaDbiQq9BDRPQJXyep8rokbuuEsvJCvkgDWqafa8BDEGUqWLU-LVcgDGGVF0~QWqD9vFkyzylpcHCsmPa86Al6R-40cvGCkW9dnHJ8Bme4MX~Qi6SujNGN6eBsi2d5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Champaign County Board members pressed county administration to fix accounting and vendor-payment problems tied to the county auditor's office, saying delays and missing reconciliations are jeopardizing grants and vendor relationships.
The board heard detailed examples of late or missing payments, unposted checks and delays in routine tasks such as bank reconciliations, journal entries and vendor setup. County board member Ellie raised the matter as a governance and operational risk: \"we're talking about the basic accounts payable and associated functions that, the accountants working in that office, are tasked with and, that are critical to everything that the county does,\" she said.
Why it matters: Several departments, including RPC (Regional Planning Commission) which administers grants and workforce programs, reported vendors calling about unpaid invoices. Board members warned that missed payments and unreconciled accounts risk state reporting errors, loss of grant funding and finance charges that departments must absorb.
Board members requested a written review of statutory duties, current workflows and recommended administrative changes. County administration agreed to provide proposals to the committee by the August county administration meeting.
Details from the meeting: Finance and staff reports cited recurring problems: Munis help-desk requests left unanswered, vendors not set up in the financial system, bank reconciliations that were not completed for fiscal year 2024 and unposted check runs (the board was told an entire electronic funds transfer check run scheduled June 13 did not go out and vendors waited a week for payment). Travis, who has been handling audit-related memos and questions, told the board that some interest entries for fiscal year 2025 had not been posted and that corrections for FY24 are still being processed.
Board direction and next steps: Chair and members asked administration (finance and county executive'staff) to produce a document that lays out the auditor's statutory duties, which duties are being performed, gaps in performance, and whether some administrative functions should be relocated to other offices. Member Benish Theornot (comment in roll call) and others requested the report by the August committee meeting; administration said it will provide recommendations at the August County Administration & Finance meeting.
Division of responsibility: Several board members noted the auditor's office is an elected office that performs administrative functions uncommon in other jurisdictions, and asked for an assessment of whether those administrative duties should remain there or be moved to an executive office. Board members stressed they were not criticizing staffers but identifying leadership and structural problems in the office that require board-level review.
What the public said: Multiple speakers, including former board members and department heads, described frustration with delayed payments and difficulty getting answers. Board members emphasized the consequences for small businesses and grant-funded programs that rely on timely payment.
","Board members expressed concern about unpaid vendors, missing reconciliations and other accounting delays in the county auditor's office and asked administration to return to the August committee with recommendations to address statutory duties and process failures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6155140,"Champaign County Board unanimously approves five AFSCME contracts after months of bargaining",3029,1744000,4773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778&start=1744&end=4773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5481058-33a783288080a0a4f6f669b66ac17778/thumbnail_1744000.jpg","/articles/6155140/Champaign-County/Illinois/Champaign-County-Board-unanimously-approves-five-AFSCME-contracts-after-months-of-bargaining","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6155140-2df2c4cb021177696f7d842e25c779bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770449687&Signature=oIk8Lho0jDybD7A5c3eEKJoSNpbT4Qk86Dqi0D-GX~PLScqZMTCrVDX~sfcoP2kPIRkVF4gUtU6v1feYjIkJKrdtilWmB5THKsb1TCex75Drg9BirUHJ3hZyf574OKQ1eKUHp~82rYzQMfyIZ4BJ~3aiJt8ID7sbgdtRhEYE2lzJNdbBZtDFVjeUeXMBvorbS9DQP7G3Ru8wQQM1q-vdoZ8bGG95b~C~dxV8Om-MeceEORRgZ1XVXck8f~WfWH-dqSgMsBvmHvRLDZZx~HQYyb2l9DW3ijzgtHD4CBQQrKYEFlLPbnDI757tpxJsbPmpf4lImiwTcwxgTaqOdvveTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Champaign County Board members voted to adopt five labor agreements with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 covering multiple county offices for Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026.
The contracts were brought to the board as an omnibus package after the unions ratified tentative agreements reached July 8; labor committee members asked the full board to approve resolutions 2025-214 through 2025-218 that enact the contracts.
Why it matters: The agreements affect wages, benefits and leave policies for hundreds of county employees and follow months of bargaining. Board and union leaders said the contracts avoid a work stoppage and include pay raises and new leave provisions the county has not offered previously.
Board discussion and public comment preceded the vote. Jason Elliott Denda, a county facilities custodian who identified himself as an AFSCME member, told the board he had presented in April about wage gaps and said he was pleased with the negotiated outcome: \"I'm happy today that I was wrong,\" he said, referring to earlier skepticism about reaching an agreement. Cece Phillips, speaking on behalf of AFSCME members, thanked the board and negotiators: \"By reaching a fair and equitable contract, it sends a strong message that our workers matter,\" she said.
Labor Committee chair Emily Farney outlined key contract gains during committee remarks: \"We have a 3% salary increase across the board in 2025, and then another 3% for the second year,\" she said, and highlighted reductions in health-care costs, an additional floating holiday and a county-offered 12-week paid parental leave program. Farney said the union ratified the contracts with about 94% support.
The board approved the omnibus motion by voice vote after a brief amendment to add the auditor to the list of covered offices; the board recorded no roll-call tally on the omnibus item in the meeting minutes.
Discussion versus action: The board'level votes formally adopted the contracts. Board members and staff discussed implementation details and next steps for administration to process the new pay rates, benefit changes and the parental leave policy. No separate ordinance or budget appropriation action tied to these resolutions was recorded at the meeting; staff noted administrative steps and potential follow-up to replenish funds for a health care reimbursement account related to benefit changes.
What to expect next: County administrative staff said they will work with payroll and benefits vendors to implement the contract terms and provide details to the board and affected employees. Union and management representatives present urged the board to approve the resolutions quickly so staff could process retroactive adjustments and finalize payroll changes.
","The Champaign County Board approved five labor agreements with AFSCME Council 31 covering county general employees, the state's attorney, circuit court, circuit clerk and highway workers for 2025'2026, following union ratification and public comment from county employees and union representatives.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Out-of-county activists press Champaign County Board to adopt election-audit resolution; board takes no action

Champaign County board raises alarm over auditor'office delays, directs administration to propose fixes

Champaign County Board unanimously approves five AFSCME contracts after months of bargaining