[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6226988,"mediaKeyId","3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112","parentId",3497233,"title","Volunteers press Winnebago County Board to adopt resolution alleging widespread election irregularities and demanding verification measures","audioSeconds",997,"startMs",1569765,"endMs",2567672,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112&start=1569&end=2567","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112/thumbnail_1569765.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6226988/Winnebago-County/Illinois/Volunteers-press-Winnebago-County-Board-to-adopt-resolution-alleging-widespread-election-irregularities-and-demanding-verification-measures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226988-6da51a01cf389afc86034356de0e128e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167427&Signature=lz5INHHb8FTnrjPZaY2w4awxJyDtMXxkKGeXmty8PXsg2RAntXp642jSE6xDg1Jdkxl8f~F9DSdGGM7-E9cK8Xw6cyYlZKsA-TokXN9FWw~6ywy2AQfcN1Nr5GoJdep08Ik32AvZEzrtINdugTlRKYb6-KlR5y2dcJ~jDeTmhkJGWpjTk7h3mTVK6l~nM1X0PtE8tx6vhKikpGD3UGkMVY2ljneRuAP662aon0GnhYyNeCWHSsy-puzxr~CS-GRYWttw7k-Sw7EfwaKMugFECY1OPLg6PNfJvrcdLdCD13mxikwKzX~6xlAXOWbjDmxjruMb5LgeTeEZjcQbraZvGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Winnebago County, IL","date","2025-05-24T20:49:51.507Z","article","A group of volunteers associated with United Sovereign Americans addressed the Winnebago County Board during public comment on Thursday to ask the board to adopt a resolution they said would ensure a \"legally valid\" 2026 general election.

Speakers read text the group described as a proposed county resolution and cited a volunteer audit they said identified large numbers of registration errors and votes of uncertain validity in the 2024 Illinois general election. Jane Carroll, introduced as a volunteer, asked the board to \"demonstrate your commitment to your constituents' concerns and your dedication to upholding voter civil rights and the integrity of our elections here in Winnebago County.\" Brian Jones and Dean Barker followed with longer readings of the group's findings and proposed language.

The volunteers framed their recommendation as a set of reforms they said county election officials and other public bodies should adopt, including requiring voting systems to meet federal information-security standards, verifying voters' U.S. citizenship before counting ballots or holding disputed ballots as provisional, enforcing chain-of-custody protocols for ballots and equipment, and preserving operational records for auditing.

Speakers repeatedly referenced federal legal standards and past Supreme Court precedent. The presentations cited Reynolds v. Sims and named federal law such as the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act when describing recordkeeping and accuracy requirements. One speaker requested that the board place the group's resolution on a future agenda and asked to return to provide a fuller presentation.

Winnebago County Board members did not vote on the resolution during the meeting; the comments were received as public testimony. A county official read the board's public-comment rules before the speakers began, and several volunteers concluded by asking the board to formally consider the packet of materials they left with staff.

Copies of the materials submitted to the board referenced specific numeric findings from the volunteer audit described by speakers as \"4,566,205 material registration errors and omissions\" and other counts, which the volunteers said came from their analysis of certified state election records and that they had submitted parts of their work to court filings. The board did not adopt or refer the group's proposed resolution during the meeting; United Sovereign Americans representatives said they would request placement on a future committee agenda to present details and answer questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Winnebago County IL Board 05/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","A group of volunteers with United Sovereign Americans used the Winnebago County Board's public-comment period to urge adoption of a resolution they said would correct alleged registration and vote-count irregularities from the 2024 general election.","taxTitle","Winnebago County, Illinois","taxId",2548,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6226994,"Winnebago County hears update on revolving loan fund; Rockford LDC says fund is sustainable and focused on small-business lending",802,262580,1064786,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112&start=262&end=1064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112/thumbnail_262580.jpg","/articles/6226994/Winnebago-County/Illinois/Winnebago-County-hears-update-on-revolving-loan-fund-Rockford-LDC-says-fund-is-sustainable-and-focused-on-small-business-lending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226994-f444414d56f73151d36be0980a403777/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167427&Signature=frOhrc3ZAQ-otx6n0tWnFBkmMBQde3AMtu6tR9fBzZOs9krPnmenkzzBzshoD~WNWp~MVyFO8gZN0mgmpilJ4o5WjKCgI2tSsU5Ox1q8-s9uWHN0pNPAMpt9aKb9inUFZPzMyB05kBmKsoTcQlXwEPuQachWeGqS65c-8v3yU4y8kXfSkz2Cz09ORntbzScfIAn9ljZeYIcRUKdtKz3yv44w19ZuIChiCd0GiWM8thT27i-cD9jfM5CZrInU3iIseYtlCaH2yuJAX6JX~Qoh37ov3X4ZksdFfBOh73eAthBz72rryjPgbzvvgDV4qe3BBJudR8ss2Q35ogCpFEhMsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rockford Local Development Corporation gave a briefing to the Winnebago County Board on Thursday on the county's revolving loan fund, explaining how the program supports small-business lending and a county-seeded housing rehabilitation initiative.

The presentation described the RLF as gap financing that usually sits behind a bank loan and is intended to help businesses buy buildings, expand or finance equipment. John Phelps, a presenter for Rockford Local Development Corporation, told the board the fund had a balance of about $1.4 million and that the county portfolio includes roughly 20 outstanding loans totaling about $1.1 million, with an average loan size of about $56,000.

That financial profile matters because the fund originated from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development money that passed to the county through state channels and is now managed to be self-sustaining, county staff said. Chris Dornbusch, representing Winnebago County, told the board the program does not create county liability beyond reducing the fund balance if a loan defaults.

Phelps said the RLF typically takes subordinate positions to banks, offers flexible terms, and targets small manufacturers and disadvantaged borrowers in distressed areas. He described underwriting standards, including analysis of management, market conditions and debt-service capacity, and said default rates have historically been low: \"Our default rates are generally under 2% a year.\" He also said management fees average about 1.5% and loan-loss reserves have been set near 2%.

The presenters reviewed a housing rehabilitation program they said was seeded with county participation roughly eight years ago. Under that program, qualifying borrowers could receive loans up to $100,000 for one year to buy a vacant, distressed property, fix it up and either sell or refinance the property to return capital to the fund. Phelps said the Rockford-area program later organized as a Community Development Financial Institution to access federal CDFI support.

Board members asked operational questions. When a board member asked whether the program provides coaching after loans are made, Phelps replied, \"We do. And that's part of our requirement. . . . We priority when we make a loan is we want to get repaid. So we gotta do everything we can to make sure they're successful.\" When asked about typical loan terms, he said terms vary by purpose: \"We generally try not to go beyond 5 or 7 years. But if it's real estate, we may amortize it a lot longer to keep the payments.\" The housing rehab loans were described as one-year loans tied to resale or refinancing.

Dornbusch told the board the original federal HUD funds passed through what was the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) and later the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). He said county funds are not commingled with the RLF and that DCEO has relaxed some prior stacking restrictions, which has allowed RLDC to combine the loans with other programs.

No formal action was taken; the presentation concluded with the board thanking the presenters and asking staff to provide the written financials that the presenters referenced.

The county's revolving loan fund remains under county-board oversight, with Rockford Local Development Corporation administering loans and returning repayments to the fund for future lending.","Rockford Local Development Corporation briefed the Winnebago County Board on administration of the county's HUD-originated revolving loan fund, reporting about $1.4 million in fund balance, roughly 20 outstanding loans and a broader housing-rehab effort seeded by county support.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6226983,"Winnebago County Board approves amended ordinance to restore administrative authority to county board chairman after debate",1184,3358575,4543305,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112&start=3358&end=4543","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3497233-557afd8e0899308d1ae4abb5d18a3112/thumbnail_3358575.jpg","/articles/6226983/Winnebago-County/Illinois/Winnebago-County-Board-approves-amended-ordinance-to-restore-administrative-authority-to-county-board-chairman-after-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6226983-2d670ec1bf0c2c78649d1e11edba379d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771167427&Signature=J~eEIp-03lTLbd22BXK2y5cOZcE~UDI9mvJkouLcCYuwGcCz~PbmspK5YREKEWyZ1VVHQsXE~gl-wBFbAzZoP31w8rXynlXezLeRL6c7FEKgojt--HtGb2zyHNu8sar77fsh83CHk4n8hVeuCZYx4t17Ct-qMfwiocyUDw3XknruxcC8r-7wT24UcbgBlxAcO-Fb-yPANq5ONpcJcxydaVjjBFUcN9DKX9rhZ5IzfbZ6s9MAYrQlEO3~IcU4G7TL4-G9t6p1hwjorVWs~ekWfU2uLPf6qK~esySlb-kK-pUp6ihmLtpXRi8Bx2CYJy1~9IHYcRezc-T~rS2E6va2Ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Winnebago County Board on Thursday approved an amended ordinance amending Chapter 2 of the county code to restore administrative authority to the county board chairman, following committee review, an amendment to clarify cross-references and a floor discussion about process and communication.

John Sweeney, presenting the item for the Economic Development Committee, moved to suspend rules and to consider the ordinance the same night. Committee materials included a packet of clerical cleanups and a textual amendment that Sweeney described as aligning section numbers, adding language to address the director of purchasing position and inserting new section 2-333 to reflect committee discussion.

Sweeney said the changes \"are basically recommended clerical cleanups\" and added they did not alter \"any legislative intent or operations.\" He moved the amendment as a single package and then moved approval of the ordinance as amended.

Board member Webster urged direct dialogue between the chairman and the board, saying public meetings and outside surrogates had created a \"disconnect\" and requesting a frank internal discussion with the chairman before a vote. That appeal prompted an extended exchange on the floor about communication and recent public forums. The presiding chair—referred to in the meeting as \"the chairman\"—responded that his record over the previous years showed consistent cooperation with the board and that his office would remain open for discussion.

After the floor discussion the board voted. The meeting record shows roll calls during the procedural votes; committee and floor action included a recorded roll call for suspension of rules and later a roll call on the question to end debate. The presiding officer announced the item passed by the board and the ordinance was approved as amended.

The committee memo attached to the ordinance listed precise textual changes introduced as the amendment: insertion of a cross-reference (\"2-333\") in a whereas clause, deletion of a conflicting sentence in section 2-47, the addition of the phrase \"and this ordinance,\" an insertion of language to clarify acceptance under employment contracts, and the creation of a new section 2-333 concerning purchasing and the director of purchasing position.

Supporters described the measure as restoring a form of county governance consistent with a 1992 referendum and as a return to prior practice; opponents and some board members said they wanted more direct, in-person discussion between the chairman and the full board before changing administrative authorities. The ordinance now will be reflected in the county code as amended.","The Winnebago County Board voted to approve an amended ordinance that restores certain administrative authorities to the county board chairman, after committee recommendation, an amendment of clerical language and a contentious floor discussion about process and communication between the chairman and board members.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Volunteers press Winnebago County Board to adopt resolution alleging widespread election irregularities and demanding verification measures

Winnebago County hears update on revolving loan fund; Rockford LDC says fund is sustainable and focused on small-business lending

Winnebago County Board approves amended ordinance to restore administrative authority to county board chairman after debate