Starting in December of 2020, there will be no Knox County Recorder.
County board members Wednesday night approved eliminating the position with a 10-1 vote. District 5 board member Brian Friedrich was the only “no” vote.
The duties of the Recorder will now fall to the County Clerk. The resolution the board approved states that the county clerk will also serve as the recorder if a county’s population falls below 60,000. Knox County’s population was 52,919, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
The elected position has been held by Carol Hallam since 2010. She’ll continue to serve in that position until 2020.
Board members Friedrich and District 4’s Jared Hawkinson both expressed concerns over additional compensation for the County Clerk, having to now take on the extra responsibilities of the County Clerk’s office.
County Clerk Scott Erickson informed the board that his pay was set during the 2018 election cycle, and couldn’t change until the 2022 elections.
Erickson also told the board that with his office absorbing the other, it would help when the duties of one were busier than the other as staff could “float” between the two. He called it a cost-saving for the county and would streamline operations.
In other action taken by the board, six appointments to the newly formed Knox County Rural and Municipal Mass Transit District. Those appointments were John Peterson, Kevin Stone, and Jenifer Sharp — all from Galesburg, Nicole Lincoln of Rio, Tabitha Beardsley of Gilson, and Reverend Russ Witkowski of Abingdon.
The board approved a resolution in June to incorporate the transit district with a 14-0 unanimous vote — board member Patrick Harlan being the only absentee at the meeting.
Also approved was a pay increase for the State’s Attorney and Public Defender — both of which are mandated by the state. Several vehicle purchases for the Sheriff’s Department, the rebuilding of a compactor for the landfill, and appointments to the Spoon Valley Lake Sanitary District and Quad City Regional Economic Development Authority.
