A complaint which had been filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections over the efforts last year to change Danville’s form of government has been dismissed. Complainant Jerry Hawker and Moving Danville Forward, more commonly known as the Committee to Support Adoption of the City Manager for Danville, have filed a court stipulation dropping the complaint filed by Hawker.
Hawker had complained that financial records of Moving Danville Forward could not be easily obtained, even though it was a requirement of election laws. The stipulation says the matter arose because certain advertisements paid for by the organization supporting the referendum inadvertently misstated the respondent’s (Moving Danville Forward) identity. Those inadvertent errors have been corrected prior to hearing and both parties have agreed to have the matter dismissed.
Pat O’Shaughnessy, one of the organizers of Moving Danville Forward, had said the group was not hiding anything. He said the information was filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
O’Shaughnessy added he signed the stipulation for two reasons. First, he says he needed this chapter to end for him, his family and the committee. ‘’We lost (the vote), we went away quietly,’’ said O’Shaughnessy. Secondly, he noted the hearing in Springfield was scheduled for January 15th, the day they had already scheduled the Balloons Over Vermilion Awards Ceremony. And O’Shaughnessy noted that is an event that is ‘’very near and dear to me and others on the committee.’’
