It was during the recent full Danville City Council meeting on September 15th that Corporation Counsel Leon Parker stated how an individual attorney from an outside law firm felt on the issue of the Danville Treasurer position.
During Tuesday (Sept 22nd) evening’s Council Public Services Committee meeting, Parker indicated that the sought written opinion from Chicago area law firm Klein, Thorpe, and Jenkins has indeed been received; and Mayor Williams says it echoes what law firm attorney Lance Malina had previously stated.
In reviewing the issue; for the past several months, there has been talk from some Council members about changing the Treasurer position from elected to appointed, in order to avoid the election of an individual that may not be qualified for the position. Although there has been full support behind the performance of Chris Heeren as Danville Treasurer, some see this as a move of protection for Danville’s future.
Corporation Counsel Parker said on the 15th that Malina had stated that if Danville were to make this change, it would have to be done by a voters’ referendum, and not through a City Council ordinance. (The Council, at this point, would still have adequate time to place such a referendum on the ballot for next February 23rd’s primary, or next April 6th’s Consolidated Election.)
Malina’s verbalized opinion also had been that the 1987 Consent Decree that changed Danville’s government from commissioner based to alderman based DOES NOT hold Danville to permanently having to have two at-large elected positions; which are currently the mayor and treasurer.
Danville’s Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr confirmed after Tuesday evening’s Public Services Committee meeting that there was no change from the previously verbalized to the final written opinion.
AUDIO: If essentially affirms what we shared last week. And we will be sending that out tomorrow (Wednesday) to the public as well, as a press release I believe.
The City Council could make a final recommendation on where to go next with the Treasurer issue at the Tuesday, October 6th City Council meeting.
