Power Mapping

Committee membership is based on elected position and staff position. The ordinance states that the third member of the Solar Committee is a board member selected by the Board Chair. However, the current committee is two staff and the Board Chair.

‍

Terry Abell (D)

Supervisor of Assessments, White County

Member of IL-CCAO (Chief County Assessment Officers)

618 382-2332 Ext. 6

Cell: 618-384-0936

FAX: 618 382-3459

Email: supervisor@whitecounty-il.gov

- Ongoing health problems for multiple years.

- News stories on Terry have to do with late collection of taxes for multiple years running.

- We’ve seen that this County has budgetary concerns that seem a little more pressing than some.

- A failure to issue permits in a timely manner (more than 14 months delay) for at least one construction project led the applicant to attend board meetings and threaten legal action against the Assessor.

Media Notes

October 14, 2020 Supervisor of Assessments Apologizes for County’s Tax Bill Delay

Board member Ron McAnulty said “Well, this is the second year in a row, and I don't think we can continue to let it go another year. We gotta have answers and these people have to have their taxes out on time. Something has to be done about her performance.”

Attendee and Carmi Township Supervisor Pam Deig said her office is affected because the township's levy needs to be filed in December and money coming in after the fiscal year is done affects everyone's audits.

“We usually have our computation report by July or August, at the latest. That information is important to us because I have to present the numbers to my board that we are going to levy in December, so the report can be filed by the end of December.” Deig stated.

Oct 23, 2020 Interview with Abell by JC Tinsley at WRUL

Hospitalized in 2019, went to Mayo in 2020 where the health problem was “finally” diagnosed. Interviewer references the prior county board meeting, when “some folks got bent and wiggly” about Terry’s health issues.

Other Board members offered help, but Abell says they can’t help if they don’t know the job. Says White County is highest oil producing county in the state, with almost as many oil parcels (13,088) as real estate parcels (19,489).

Interviewer tries to understand what is behind the delay, and Abell cites Department of Revenue slow response and that 2019 was the county’s “Quad Year” (every four years everything in County is reassessed and published in newspaper). Abell says several townships do not have assessors. Says she anticipates taxes to be back on regular schedule for next year.

November 10, 2021 Former ISP Trooper Still Can’t Get Flood Plain Permit From White County Assessments Office Jeff Knight has been trying for over a year to get the flood plain permit, and asked if official misconduct could be charged against the supervisor. The State will not allow construction to begin for his project until he has a permit.

“The office people tell me she (supervisor of assessments) is the only one who can handle it. I don’t know why someone from the office can’t reach in a drawer and pull out a form and hand it to me to fill out.” Knight stated. Knight says he can’t even get an email through to the assessments office and cannot get a response from Supervisor Terry Abell. State’s Attorney Denton Aud said he would try to speak to the Supervisor to get the process moving. The supervisor has not responded to county board attempts to communicate.

March 29, 2022 White County Supervisor of Assessments Removed from the Ballot

The challenge to the filing was brought by Deborah Bunting and Katherine Sands* of Carmi.

Abell filed a document dated one day later than the filing deadline.

What was not at issue and was not contested was her qualifications to hold the office. The negligence in filing the certificate however, put her in violation of the Property Tax Code 35 ILCS 200/3-5. A bulletin posted on the Department of Revenue website reminds candidates that the certificate must be filed.

*Kathy Sands is a journalist at the Villager’s Voice.

Brian Ray

County Engineer, since 2007

No public information about political affiliation

618-382-4811

engineer@whitecounty-il.gov

• Member of Illinois Association of County Engineers
• B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign, 2001.
• Responsible for 163 miles of roads; works with 10 Township Road Commissioners to maintain 779 miles of Township roads.
• County’s NBIS (National Bridge Inspection Standards) program manager. (167 bridges: 50 were “structurally deficient”, 20 were closed to traffic when Brian took office. They are now all restored.)
• Spoke at a fracking conference in 2013 as part of a panel on impacts to local governments and communities: roads, infrastructure, housing, and education.
• From reading minutes, speaking with the County Clerk, and bios found on the internet, Brian seems responsive and productive, in addition to being responsible with public funds.

Clint Spencer (D)

(618) 382-7211

(618)-966-3938

‍

4-H King in 1979

‍

No additional information on Clint Spencer was found.

‍

Other sentiments on commercial solar found:

Local journalist may be skeptical about solar farms.

From June 14, 2021 Board meeting minutes: In other communications, Chairman McAnulty stated Kathy Sands from the Villager’s Voice had sent him an article on solar farms studies which suggest that the panels only last 8-10 years. He went on to say he didn’t know what the County’s situation would be, but it something to keep an eye on.

Five board members elected by the district. Four-year terms. Map of districts.

‍

District 1

‍

Jakie Carter (R - Incumbent)

• Term ends: 12/31/22
• Up for re-election: N/A
• Public position on solar: On the Board when current projects were approved
• Public positions/issues: Interested in ambulance service, the jail, and safety tax
• Additional bio: Born and raised in Enfield, White County, population 657
• Has lived 15 years in District 1

David J. South (R)     

• Term begins: 12/31/22
• Up for re-election: 2026
• Public position on solar: No mention of solar
• Public positions/issues: Board transparency, problem-solving
• Occupation: Posey County Co-op, current; 14 years. Wabash Valley Service, 18 years
• Attended school in the county: Enfield High School 1985
• Illinois State University, degree in Agriculture
• Additional Bio From Board race candidate profiles: With my background in sales, marketing, operations, and logistics, I think I can bring some unique experience to the board, such as ways of solving problems that people might not think of. I have no agenda for being on the board other than I would like to see transparency of the board and I would like to serve with diplomacy. I think the county board is best served by the people of the district expressing their views on what best serves their district.

‍

District 2

Ronald Mcanulty (R - Vice Chairman)

• Term ends: 12/31/22         
• Public position on solar: Has approved current projects
• Public positions/issues: No information
• Occupation: President, McAnulty Inc        

Amanda Cannon

• Term begins: 12/31/22
• Up for Re-election: 2026
• Public position on solar: No mention of solar
• Public positions/issues: None found
• Occupation: Real Estate Agent at the Property Shop, Superintendent at Gallatin White water district since 2010
• Other community involvement: The Planter Committee
• Attended school in the county
• Additional Bio: No political affiliation found. Lifelong community member. Raised on a farm. Indian Creek Township.

‍

District 3

Ken Usery (R)

• Term ends: 12/31/24 (on board since at least 2017)
• Public position on solar: No mention of solar
• Public positions/issues: The only board member voting against raises for other elected positions. Has objected to paying county bills, and has voted no.
• Occupation: No information
• Other community involvement: No information

‍

District 4

‍

Cassie (Hughes) Pigg (R)

• Elected to 1^st term 2020
• Term ends: 12/31/24
• Public position on solar: No mention of solar
• Occupation: Immunology Specialist for Janssen Pharmaceutical (Johnson & Johnson).
• Other community involvement: No information
• Attend school in the county - Valedictorian 2005
• Additional Bio: Raised in rural White County. Live on ‘family farm’ in Brownsville area. The first term, due to health issues, she worked ‘from afar’ for much of her first term.

District 5

Clint Spencer (D) (Chairman)

• 2^nd term, first elected in 2018
• Term ends:12/31/2026
• On the solar committee
• Public positions/issues: Rural roads, revenue loss from the coal mine, concern about lack of business recruitment in the County. Doesn’t want to see job cuts in the County government—believes that other cuts can be found to meet the budget. Reluctant on the safety tax (funding new ambulance)—does not want to raise taxes.
• Occupation: Has farmed corn in Crossville 34 years.
• Community involvement: President of the Ruritan Club; former Mason; on the Phillipstown Cemetery Board
• Attend school in the county. A lifelong resident of Crossville.