Marion County Board to Meet Again After Violating Open Meetings Act

The Marion County Board reorganized Monday night after apparently violating the Illinois Open Meetings Act by voting by secret ballot earlier this month.

State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth investigated the secret ballot after questions were raised about its legality. He found a similar case in Ogle County where the appellate court said votes to reorganize the county board must be done in public.

“It’s fairly clear that when there’s a vote by secret ballot, even though it might violate the Open Meetings Act, it is still a valid action,” Hudspeth said. “In the prior case the appellate court and trial court basically told the county board that at an open meeting, each board member needs to say, ‘this is who I voted for.’ That way the public knows, good bad or otherwise, who their elected representative supported for the chair position and vice chair position.”

Hudspeth says no new candidates will be allowed and board members present shared who they voted for on the secret ballot taken earlier this month.