The McLean County Board District 10 race is one of the most important races for county board in this election season. The two seats are currently held by Republican Chuck Erickson and Democrat Josh Barnett. Barnett was elected to the position as a Republican but switched to the Democrat party during his term which resulted in the current balance of 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the board.
District 10 is in east Bloomington and most of the district is located between Airport Road and Towanda Barnes Road.
Erickson is running for reelection along with fellow Republican Ross Webb who is seeking his first term on the board. Barnett is not running for reelection. Democrat Corey T.J. Beirne is running for the seat.
The 10th district is heavily Republican making Erickson and Ross the favorites. If they win, then Republicans are likely to once again control the balance of power on the board.
Cities 92.9 asked Erickson what his proudest achievements on the board were and he responded,, “Fighting against tax increases is huge to me. I have never voted for a tax increase. While never voting for a tax increase, I have always presented a budget proposal to reduce the tax rate while balancing the budget.”
Webb told us that he, “will be a strong advocate for the taxpayer” and a statement on his website adds, “Low taxes help attract and keep businesses that keep us employed in good paying jobs. Ensuring we hold the line on property taxes is a cornerstone of my campaign.”
On his website Beirne says, “As a public school music teacher, I’ve gotten used to making do when funds are tight and classroom needs are in short supply. … This mindset of careful financial stewardship of taxpayer dollars is one I would apply to every vote and decision I would make on the County Board.”
In 2020, during the Covid-19 shutdowns, Erickson was the leader in McLean County trying to reopen businesses. In May of that year he proposed using a Clark County plan that used Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois Plan as a base but moved into recovery phase steps ahead of the governor’s timeline.
Erickson was also willing to back the Heart of Illinois Sub-Region Plan to reopen Illinois at the time. He got behind that Peoria area led movement after it gained ground in central Illinois.
“The health department was looking to us for guidance and the county board was looking to the health department. No one would lead. So I led the fight to reopen,” Erickson told us in response to a question we asked him about what he wished the board would have done differently during Covid-19.
We also asked Webb what he would have done different during Covid and he said, “We should have allowed citizens to make their own decisions on their risk level based on their own health. Shutting down churches and businesses was unacceptable and is a mistake we should have never allowed. Requiring county employees to be vaccinated as a prerequisite for continued employment was absolutely wrong.”
Beirne didn’t respond to our questions, which included what he would have done differently regarding Covid-19, but on his web site says the following regarding healthcare, “To encourage prosperity in McLean County, we must consider not only economic development, but a host of issues that include … accessibility to comprehensive health care inclusive of mental health services and addiction treatment.
We also asked each candidate what their position is on the current debate regarding funding levels for the McLean County Extension Office.
Erickson told us, “I have already cast a vote in favor of reducing their funding at the finance committee meeting. Why? Because while their funding was being reduced by the county, their surplus was going up. If lazy reporters would watch that portion of the finance committee meeting, it isn’t complicated. … All we did was say to them spend down your surplus before you go to the taxpayer for more.”
Webb said, “According to the numbers I have reviewed there should be no cuts from current 4H programs to accommodate the reduction in funding and the McLean County Extension Office currently has a 2.7 million dollar surplus. I am a strong supporter of 4H and believe that this is a prudent move to protect the taxpayer while not harming the operation of 4H and its programs.”
While he did not respond to our question Beirne’s web sight says, “He has been a Cub Scout leader at Northpoint Elementary, a board member of local arts organizations, and a longtime member and practicing musician in local music groups.”
We also asked each candidate why residents should vote for them as opposed to a member of the opposing party.
Erickson responded, “Because we (he and Webb) are better qualified, have more experience and quite frankly, are pro-taxpayer, the forgotten interest group. My record speaks for itself. I have never voted for a tax increase. … As for the Democrat challenger, if he would run as who he is not who wants to pretend to be to get elected, the voters would find he is a far-left radical posing as a Republican.”
Webb told us, “McLean County deserves strong conservative leadership that will be a strong advocate for the taxpayer, be honest and open with their constituents, and ensure that our County Sheriff’s Department is strongly supported. With the upcoming Safe-T act it is exceedingly important our local Sheriff, court system and jail have the proper resources to respond to the unfunded state mandates included in the law.”
Again, Beirne did not respond to our questions but his website states, ” I believe the words ‘We’ve always done it this way!’ are some of the most dangerous in our language, and I commit to visionary thinking and courageous collaboration.”
