2022 General Election Macon County, Illinois

The Macon County Board oversees the county budget, local legislation, the courthouse and several committees. The City of Decatur is governed by the City Council. While the County Board may have some impact on Decatur, it generally does not govern city affairs or residents.

The committees are comprised of County Board members & work in-depth on issues relating to the County Board. Then committees propose items for the full County Board where measures are approved or denied by the full county board. Some board members will serve on multiple committees. Generally no committee has all county board members on it.

The County Board Chair assigns board members to committees and can approve or reject agenda items for the full board meeting. However, the chair can be overridden by a majority vote of the board.

This year, 11 Democrats and 12 Republicans are running for a total of 15 seats. Prior to 2021's redistricting, the County Board had 21 seats and 12 Republicans. Because of the redistricting (which brought us down to 5 districts from 7), all 15 seats are up for election, instead of staggering like usual.

Macon County Clerks are responsible for:

• Taking minutes at board meetings
• Signing resolutions approved by the board
• Keeping County Records (marriage, birth, death, business names, and more)
• Tax extension
• Delinquent taxes
• Tax Bill Sales
• Running elections, recruiting & training election judges

Another description is available on the County's Official Clerk Webpage

"The County Treasurer’s office plays a vital role in the lives of Macon County residents. The office collects 55,000 tax bills each year. This revenue is critical to schools, libraries, parks, municipalities and to the Macon County government itself, which provides a myriad of social services to county residents.

The primary functions of the County Treasurer can be grouped into three major categories: the receipt and collection of revenue, the safekeeping of revenue, and the appropriate accounting for and disbursement of revenue. All other duties flow out of one of those functions or from a request from the local governing body."

src: Treasurer Webpage

Jim Root is the only candidate for Macon County Sheriff. Shannon Gutierrez-Seal (D) was slated, but withdrew. Per Herald & Review, she had taken a Republican ballot in primaries for strategic voting purposes & State Law will not allow her to run on Democratic ballot because of this.

"The Macon County Sheriff’s Office was established in 1829. The first Sheriff, William Warnick, was a personal friend of President Abraham Lincoln.

Today the Sheriff’s Office has 4 divisions, Patrol, Corrections, Court Security, and Records. With over 150 employees, we maintain higher standards to serve the citizens of Macon County."

src: Macon County Website

There is only one candidate for Macon-Piatt Regional Superintendent of Schools.

"The Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education promotes quality education for the citizens of Macon and Piatt counties by acting as an advocate for education, providing leadership, performing regulatory functions as directed by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois School Code, providing access to needed resources and disseminating information to school districts, educators and the community." src: County Website

"The Sixth Judicial Court is composed of the following six counties: Champaign, DeWitt, Douglas, Macon, Moultrie and Piatt. Although the Sixth Judicial Circuit is a unified circuit, all six counties of the circuit have separate courthouses and court is held in each county.

There are fourteen Circuit Judges and eleven Associate Judges. Each of the judges of the Sixth Circuit may hear cases in each of the counties and are assigned by order of the Chief Judge.

The Chief Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit is elected by the circuit judges. The Chief Judge has general administrative authority over the courts in the Sixth Circuit and assigns judges within the circuit. The administrative staff of the Chief Judge is made up of an administrative assistant."

src: sixthcircuitcourt.com

"Except when a circuit court’s decision may be appealed directly to the Illinois Supreme Court, a person has the right to appeal the decision to the Illinois Appellate Court. The appellate court is organized into five districts, each of which hears appeals from the circuits within that district. After the appellate court decides an appeal, a person may petition the supreme court to review the appellate court’s decision.

In total, the appellate court consists of 54 judges. Some judges are elected by the voters in the respective districts; those judges are initially elected to 10-year terms and then may be retained for additional 10-year terms. Other judges are assigned to the appellate court by the supreme court.

The appellate court for each district consists of one or more divisions. The First District consists of six divisions; each of the other districts consists of one. The judges of each division select a presiding judge for a one-year term. The presiding judge selects the panels that will hear appeals. Each panel consists of three judges."

src: illinoiscourts.gov

"Elected to a two-year term, each representative serves the people of a specific congressional district by introducing bills and serving on committees, among other duties."

src: house.gov

"The Illinois State Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly. Alongside the Illinois House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Illinois state government and works alongside the governor of Illinois to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Illinois State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. "

src: ballotpedia.org

"The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Illinois General Assembly. Alongside the Illinois State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Illinois state government and works alongside the governor of Illinois to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Illinois House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. "

src: ballotpedia.gov

"The Attorney General is the state’s chief legal officer and is responsible for protecting the public interest of the state and its people."

[src: illinoisattorneygeneral.gov]

"In 1970, Illinois' latest constitution established the Comptroller as an elected officer in the Executive Branch of state government. Illinois citizens select the state's Comptroller in statewide elections. By law, the Comptroller is the state's Chief Fiscal Control Officer, responsible for the legal, efficient, and effective operations of state government."

[src: illinoiscomptroller.gov]

Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates run together, just like U.S. President and Vice President.

"The Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 8, states that 'The Governor shall have the supreme executive power, and shall be responsible for the faithful execution of the laws.' The purpose of the Office is to ensure proper execution of the laws in Illinois."

[src: illinois.gov]

"The Lieutenant Governor of Illinois is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Illinois. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and has no term limits."

[src: ballotpedia.org]

"The Secretary of State manages one of the largest computer databases in Illinois, keeping track of approximately 8.7 million drivers; 11 million registered vehicles; 466,000 corporations; 230,000 limited liability entities; 159,000 registered securities sales-persons; and 16,000 investment advisor representatives. The office also is an important resource for educating citizens about issues that affect their everyday lives, including anti-drunk driving, traffic safety, school bus safety, securities fraud, literacy, and organ/tissue donation."

[src: ilsos.gov]

"The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is dedicated to protecting the state’s portfolio, ensuring the liquidity of all investments, and consistently producing earnings at or above industry standards. Our investment decisions promote education, access, and opportunity for individuals and governmental bodies across our state to give families the tools to achieve the American Dream. The Treasurer’s Office is committed to fulfilling this mission in a highly professional and ethical manner, while striving for transparency, efficiency, and preservation of public trust."

[src: illinoistreasurer.gov]

"The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the House of Representatives."

[src: ballotpedia.org]