Winnebago County ad hoc committee to review chairman powers; next meeting set for May 12

An ad hoc committee of the Winnebago County Board agreed Tuesday to review proposed changes to Chapter 2 of the Winnebago County Code that would alter the duties and authorities of the county board chairman, and scheduled a follow-up meeting for May 12 at 4 p.m. The committee said it will invite County Administrator Pat Thompson, County Board Chairman Chiarelli and mayors who wish to address the group.

The matter stems from an ordinance introduced by Board member Sweeney and referred to the Operations Committee; the packet reviewed at the meeting included a full copy of Chapter 2 (Administration), a 2024 ordinance updating board rules and procedures and a 2025 ordinance revising the county purchasing ordinance, plus the ordinance introduced by Sweeney. Pat Thompson, the county administrator, told the committee, "I'll just walk you through real quick. What the packet consists of," and summarized those attachments.

Committee members framed the issue as a choice between restoring more authority to the elected county chairman, pursuing an executive form of government through a voter referendum, or making incremental ordinance changes. Several members recalled the history: a prior effort to move to an executive form was put on the ballot after a petition and court challenge and failed in a February 2020 referendum. One member said the prior board removed certain chairman responsibilities following a period of internal conflict and cautioned that changes made by ordinance can be reversed by a future board.

Not all members agreed on process or scope. Board member Reardon urged inviting Chairman Chiarelli to explain what he believes is defective about the current structure, saying, "I think we need to have Chairman Chiarelli speak to us also, so he can share with us, you know, what he sees defective about this system we have in place." Board member Valdez pushed the committee to build on an existing draft that had been prepared over several years: "I don't understand why we're not building on this document and looking at this and saying, is this what we want the chairman to look like?" she said, noting legal review had already been done on that draft.

Other members opposed broad external participation. One speaker said the issue should be handled "in house" by county board members rather than by municipal officials seeking influence. Several members also warned about concentrating hiring and firing authority in a single elected official, saying that professional county administrators and department heads are subject-matter experts and that broad authority to hire and fire could politicize management decisions.

The committee did not adopt any ordinance or take a formal vote on code changes at the meeting. It did give staff direction and set these next steps: invite Pat Thompson, Chairman Chiarelli and mayors who want to speak to the committee; review the packet materials (Chapter 2, the 2024 rules ordinance, the April 2025 purchasing amendment, and Board member Sweeney's proposed ordinance); and meet again on May 12 at 4 p.m. Several members said the meeting should aim to identify specific problems the changes would solve before drafting new language or preparing a referendum proposal.

Members also raised historical context and potential next actions: some said they support pursuing an executive form of government that would make the chairman the county's chief executive and would require voter approval; others said incremental ordinance revisions or clearer role definitions between the chairman and the administrator would be sufficient. The committee chair indicated a desire to limit the number of meetings but to allow follow-ups if necessary.

The ad hoc committee will report back to the Operations Committee after the next session; no formal legislative action was taken at Tuesday's meeting.