Washburn commission approves apology to McLean County Sheriff's Department after heated debate

The Washburn City Commission approved a formal apology to the McLean County Sheriff's Department for remarks made during the commission's May meeting, following prolonged debate over whether the previous comments were supported by evidence and whether the apology was appropriately timed.

The draft letter, read into the record by a commissioner, opened: "Dear Sheriff Kurzman and McLean County Sheriff's Department, on behalf of the Washburn City Commission, we sincerely apologize for inappropriate comments made during our 05/12/2025 commission meeting." The text also said the commission "acknowledge[d] that president Lylem did not follow established protocol by failing to coordinate through our designated police portfolio holder," and pledged to follow protocol going forward.

The mayor opposed the apology and defended raising public-safety concerns, saying he had been called into the county office for questioning and describing the meeting as an "interrogation" in which he was accused of crimes. "I was escorted into a interrogation room, and I was verbally abused for a half an hour," the mayor said, noting he filed a complaint with police and sought to protect a named employee.

Other commissioners urged caution about public accusations without publicly available evidence, arguing that any claims should be supported by records and that public airing before records were released risked unfairly harming reputations. A commissioner urged that future concerns be brought with documentation before public accusations.

By voice vote the commission approved sending the apology; one commissioner registered opposition. The commission also discussed creating clearer internal channels for raising public-safety or policing concerns so that allegations are documented before public statements.