St. Clair County appoints officials to hear your tax appeals, manage property records
The St. Clair County Board has appointed two people to hear property owners’ tax assessment appeals and to manage property ownership records.
These were vacant elected positions that the appointees will fill until the 2024 General Election.
At a special county board meeting Tuesday night, Michael P. Crockett Jr. was sworn in as the new St. Clair County Recorder of Deeds to manage property ownership records, including deeds and mortgages.
And Irma G. Golliday was sworn in as a St. Clair County Board of Review member to make decisions about tax appeals on residential, commercial, industrial and condominium property as well as vacant land.
Crockett is finishing Democrat Michael Costello’s term as county recorder after Costello died in November at 77 years old.
Golliday is finishing Democrat Kinnis Williams Sr.’s term as a county board of review member. Williams resigned in November after he was elected St. Clair County Circuit Clerk.
The county board resolutions related to the appointments stated that both Crockett and Golliday are Democrats like their predecessors and meet the other qualifications for the jobs, which weren’t specified.
“They both were extremely interested in serving the citizens of St. Clair County,” County Board Chairman Mark Kern said after the meeting. “They’ve got a lot of energy. Both have been proven in a number of activities and a number of offices that they’ve held in the county. I think they’re going to do a spectacular job.”
New St. Clair County recorder
Crockett has been a St. Clair County Board of Review member since 2012, according to his resume, which was included in special meeting materials. He also served on the St. Clair County Board from 2009 to 2012, the resume states.
His move to county recorder creates a new vacancy on the three-member county board of review. Kern said the county has 60 days to fill it with another appointee.
Crockett said he brings knowledge and experience with land, taxes and fairness to the county recorder position. His predecessor Costello also came to the county recorder’s office from the board of review.
In 2016, Crockett was one of nine public officials charged in a joint state and federal corruption investigation. He was accused of taking a bribe to lower someone’s tax assessment. A St. Clair County judge dismissed three charges against Crockett and found him not guilty on two others, saying there was “not a scintilla of proof.”
Crockett said Tuesday night it was important to him to go before a judge and answer any questions about his conduct to prove his innocence as opposed to resolving the case through a plea deal.
“The decisions I made, I’d make ’em again,” Crockett said of reducing the tax assessment.
Kern described Crockett as an honest government worker.
“I’ve known Mr. Crockett for a long time, and he’s an upstanding, honest, hardworking public servant and he’ll continue to be so,” Kern said.
New board of review member
Golliday has been the executive director of the East St. Louis Park District since 2005, her resume states.
She has also been involved in several community groups and institutions, including:
- School board president for East St. Louis School District 189.
- Assistant secretary of the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation.
- Commissioner of the Bi-State Development Agency.
- Commissioner of the St. Clair County Parks Commission.
- Precinct committeewoman for Belleville 15.
Golliday said Tuesday night she resigned from the East St. Louis Park District, the East St. Louis School Board and the St. Clair County Parks Commission to focus on her new job.
Kern praised Golliday’s work on the St. Clair County Parks Commission and said he’s sorry to see her leave it.
“I’m torn because I’m losing a good member of (the commission), but Mrs. Golliday’s going to do a great job,” Kern said of her move to the board of review.
Golliday said she plans to stay involved in the East St. Louis school district and that her role on the board of review will allow her to help people in a different way.
This story was originally published January 25, 2023 at 9:36 AM.
