The County Board is the central legislative body of our Champaign County government. There are 11 districts, and two board members elected to each district. The County Board makes decisions about how the county’s money is spent; money that comes from your tax dollars. They also have oversight of county offices, as well as facilities and roads. They work with the County Executive to appoint positions throughout county government.
District 10 is located in Urbana (view the map here), and has two seats available. Incumbent Democrat Christopher Stohr is running unopposed. Democrat Connie Dillard-Myers is vacating the other seat, having lost to Democrat Mary King in the primary. Republican Mike Kobel is also running for this seat.
King has lived in Urbana since 2003, and is a research archaeobotanist at the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. She has a long history of activism in the Democratic party, and holds progressive values. From our February interview with King:
If I am elected to the county board, I will exercise my best judgment about what best serves the county and District 10. I will listen carefully and with an open mind to my constituents, other members of the Democratic caucus, and the rest of the board. It’s going to take honest and forthright communication to create solid, accessible policies, so my fellow Democratic caucus members will never be in doubt as to where I stand and why.
Kobel is a lifelong Champaign County resident, with 32 years of experience in emergency services and management, most of which were serving as Assistant Fire Chief University of Illinois Willard Airport Fire Department. He considers himself a common sense candidate. From his Facebook page:
I believe in honesty, integrity, fiscal responsibility, and accountability in elected officials.
Here is their recent Candidate Forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters, NAACP of Champaign County, The News Gazette, and WILL.
Photos from (l) Mary King for County Board Facebook page, and (r) Mike Kobel for County Board Facebook page.