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LaSalle County approves consortium of taxing bodies for nuclear station negotiations and accepts shared legal counsel
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Summary
After debate about costs and committee review, the LaSalle County Board approved forming a consortium of taxing bodies to negotiate with the LaSalle nuclear-station owner and accepted designated legal counsel to represent the consortium; board members discussed fee-splitting and timing for tax-year 2027.
The LaSalle County Board voted April 9 to form an intergovernmental consortium of taxing bodies to pursue negotiations with the LaSalle nuclear power station owner and accepted designated legal counsel to represent that consortium.
Staff introduced the intergovernmental cooperation agreement describing the consortium’s purpose: to combine taxing bodies for negotiation with the plant owner (referred to in the record as Constellation) beginning tax year 2027. Board members asked whether the proposal should go to the finance committee first and pressed for clarity about expected legal fees. Chair (speaker 2) and staff said legal fees would be split among participating taxing bodies; one board member noted LaSalle County’s percent share was listed in the materials as 17.95 percent. The materials read a firm name for counsel variously as "Stuart Whitlaw," "Stuart Witt Law," and referenced "Whitlock at Aurora" in a letter in the packet.
A motion to send the matter back to the finance committee (effectively tabling until review) failed on roll-call (motion denied). The board then voted separately to form the consortium and accept the named legal counsel; that motion carried on a recorded vote.
Board members were told the agreement obligates the county only to participate in forming the consortium and that legal fees and future budget decisions would be addressed in further committee or meeting action as negotiations proceed.
