Champaign County Board creates finance division, moves nonstatutory accounts-payable duties out of auditor’s office

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Champaign County Board voted Wednesday to create a new finance division in the county executive’s administrative services department and transfer certain non‑auditing finance functions out of the elected auditor’s office.

Supporters said the move is intended to let the auditor focus on independent review and “watchdog” duties while operational finance tasks move to a staffed division. Opponents said the board acted too quickly, asked for clearer role definitions, and worried the change could prompt litigation over statutory duties.

The resolution (2025/247) was introduced by county administration and advanced after an amendment adding a grade range for the new positions. Board members debated whether the proposal duplicated the auditor’s statutory responsibilities and whether the county had obtained a written legal opinion. Several members urged more detailed role descriptions, staffing and cost breakdowns before implementation. The state’s attorney’s office representative said it had reviewed materials and did not identify a clear statutory prohibition but could not guarantee litigation would not follow.

Board members who opposed the measure asked that the item be tabled to allow more time for vetting; that motion failed. The board then adopted the resolution by roll call; the clerk recorded the vote and the chair announced the resolution passed.

Discussion focused on three practical points: what duties would remain with the auditor, what duties would move to the new finance division (accounts payable and related processing), and when the change would take effect. Administration said the transfer of accounts‑payable work would begin September 29 and that a budget amendment to fund the positions would be presented later in the year. Several members emphasized that hiring, funding and any elimination of duplicated positions would be separate, later steps.

County staff and board members repeatedly framed the vote as the first of multiple steps: move operational, non‑auditing tasks to a centralized office; fund the new staff in a later budget action; and then, if appropriate, revisit the auditor’s staffing to remove duplication. Board members urged cautious, phased implementation to avoid destabilizing employees and to preserve audit independence.

The state’s attorney’s office representative told the board that, after reviewing the resolution and supporting materials, the office did not conclude the action would clearly violate Illinois law but could not guarantee the absence of legal challenge. The representative said that lawyers frequently cannot predict litigation outcomes and that further legal review could be sought.

The resolution includes job classifications for new positions in the administrative services department. Administration said specific hiring timelines and funding details would follow; board members asked for a committee meeting and possible closed‑session legal briefing to answer outstanding implementation questions.

Board members and county administration agreed that the process would involve additional votes — hiring, budget amendments and potential personnel reductions — and that those actions would return to the board for approval.

The board’s vote on the resolution was recorded and the chair declared the motion carried.