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County Board member calls for abolishment of Galesburg Election Commission

Republican County Board member Jared Hawkinson last night called for the elimination of the Galesburg Election Commission at the Knox County Board meeting.He points out that despite what some might assume the Election Commission is totally funded by Knox County and not the city.

According to the Knox County’s FY2017-18 budget the county planned on a $175,000 allocation for the GEC this year.

Hawkinson went on to say that the Election Commission is “utilizing language in the state law to forcibly strong arm” a raise.

“We’re not talking just a one, two or three percent raise like our union employees contractually negotiate and receive. They are demanding through multiple avenues that the Executive Director position receive a 12 percent raise and the assistant director’s position receives a 5 percent raise to their salaries,” Hawkinson says.

Hawkinson pointed out that only six municipalities in Illinois still have their own election commissions.

He would like to see the Knox County Clerk’s office handle all elections in the county and fellow board members Sara Varner, David Amor and Cheryl Nache, all three Democrats, expressed agreement.

The Galesburg Election Commission was created in 1908 to establish a non-partisan entity to oversee elections in the city.

It is not clear whether the Knox County Board has the authority to abolish the commission.

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