Madison County Board rejects Kurt Prenzler’s effort to maintain his powers as chairman
Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler on Wednesday asked county board members to reverse a decision that stripped him of some of his powers. He then asked them to reconsider placing a referendum on the November ballot that would ask voters if they want control over certain property tax increases.
He failed in both attempts in a contentious board meeting on Wednesday night.
The board voted for a second time in favor of an ordinance that changes Prenzler duties, then voted to form a subcommittee to study the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, instead of putting it on the November ballot as proposed by Prenzler.
The board had voted on July 6 for an ordinance that would allow a “chairperson pro tem” to appoint the county administrator and department heads to assume some of Prenzler’s former duties. The changes to the board chairman’s job duties were warranted, the ordinance states, by Prenzler’s “chronically inept management,” among other charges that Prenzler vehemently denied.
The board has not yet appointed a chairperson pro tem.
On Wednesday, Prenzler made five rulings stating that the board’s actions on July 6 were “out of order” but all five were all shot down by a wide majority of the board.
Prenzler cited information from a group called Edgar County Watchdogs that stated the board did not have the legal right to change Prenzler’s duties. But Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, who also serves as the attorney for the county board, said the board was fully within its rights to approve the ordinance.
“My legal opinion is this ruling by the chair is without merit in every respect and a vote to overrule the ruling would be fully merited,” Haine told the board during discussion of the first of Prenzler’s five rulings.
The board voted 22-4 to overrule Prenzler on his first “out of order” ruling Wednesday. The July 6 vote to change the way the board operates was 19-6.
In both meetings, members of Prenzler’s own party voted against him.
Prenzler, a Republican, was first elected to the county board chairman position in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020.
Here are highlights of the chairperson pro tem changes:
▪ The chairperson pro tem may be removed with or without cause by a two-thirds vote of the county board.
▪ If the chairperson is removed, the vice chairperson pro tem immediately assumes duties of the chairperson pro tem.
▪ A new chairperson pro tem shall be elected at the next regularly scheduled county board meeting.
▪ The county board chairperson pro tem will work with the county administrator and county auditor to prepare a draft county budget.
The preamble for an ordinance allowing for the change stated: “It is the opinion of the County Board that the Chairman has exhibited chronically inept management, lack of communication or research on important issues relating to lowering property taxes, lack of attention to his job which decreases the quality of services paid for by taxpayers, and multiple disastrous personnel decisions which have cost the County millions of dollars in legal costs and settlements.”
Prenzler has said he disagrees with the ordinance and has defended his record. On Wednesday, he told the board members they were “voting on the ordinance to, let’s just make it simple, to take away a lot of my power.”
Property tax vote
Prenzler wanted the board to put the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law referendum on the November ballot. It was the third time he’s made this request and the third time it’s been denied. He said he’s previously asked the board to do this in 2018 and 2020.
Michael Walters, a Republican from Godfrey, introduced a motion to create a subcommittee of board members and an “outside organization” to study the issue. The proposal passed 24-1. The lone “no” vote was cast by Judy Kuhn, a Trenton Republican.
The subcommittee “will do a review of the good, the bad, the great and the ugly” of how the law would affect taxing bodies, Walters said.
“My goal is to have this done in the spring,” Walters said. “I do want this eventually to get out there for people to vote.”
To get on the November ballot, it would have to be approved by the county board next month.
Under the PTELL system, “Increases in property tax extensions are limited to the lesser of 5 percent or the increase in the consumer price index for the year preceding the levy year. The limitation for a taxing district can be increased with voter approval,” according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Prenzler said supporters of this process like it because it gives voters a voice in how much taxes are raised.
“If you’re going to raise taxes, do it with the voters,” he said in an interview after the meeting.
A University of Illinois report says opponents of this method have said they oppose the limits because “local governments may increase their rates to prepare for the potential of tighter controls.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
