The Warren County Board voted down a proposal at its Wednesday meeting that would have reduced the number of districts and members required to represent county residents.
“The population decrease was spread fairly evenly across the four districts in Warren County,” said Chairman Mike Pearson, “so there was really no need to either redraw or reduce the number of board members.”
In other County Board news:
Paving the way for the construction of a new jail in the city of Monmouth is among the many items on the Warren County Board’s to-do list. Board member Sean Cavanaugh believes the time to act is now:
“It will cost us more, over the life of paying for a new jail, to send our inmates elsewhere than to build a new jail (here in Monmouth),” Cavanaugh said. “We’ve done studies on that, up and down, to raise taxes in order to do this. Everyone wants to be safe.
“It’s of vital importance for Warren County to have a jail, and I believe the people understand the urgency of this matter.”
Whitman hired as public defender: Chairman Mike Pearson announced the hiring of Alex Whitman as the county’s new public defender.
Need for Weed Ordinance Officer: The State of Illinois has notified Warren County that it will be required to hire a Weed Ordinance Officer, whose main responsibility will be to help control and eradicate noxious weeds throughout the county.
