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Tiny county wants Schock to pay for special elections

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The Marshall County Board wants former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock to pay the $76,000 in unbudgeted county costs for special elections to fill the 18th Congressional District seat he abandoned.

The board voted unanimously Thursday to send the Peoria Republican a letter requesting the reimbursement. Schock resigned last month following controversy over his use of taxpayer and campaign funds.

The costs for the special primary and general election have been estimated at $38,000 each, officials said. In a vein somewhat similar to a collection letter, the board offers Schock options of sending either the full amount or an agreement stating that he will pay later. […]

“Schock has more money (in that fund) than the county has in its reserves,” [State’s Attorney Paul Bauer] said.

According to the Comptroller’s website, Marshall County had $3.6 million in general reserves at the end of Fiscal Year 2014, up from $3.5 million the year before. Not a bad little pile of cash for a county of 12,000 people. It was sitting on another $2.9 million in “special revenue” reserves, about the same as the year before.

So, while this is a fun little publicity pop, the county can clearly afford to pay for the special elections. Reserves are supposed to be for unintended expenses. These specials certainly qualify.

…Adding… Schock received 72 percent of the vote in Marshall County last year. As VanillaMan points out in comments…

You chose poorly, Grasshopper.

Now you must pay so that a new choice can be made.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:09 pm

Comments

You chose poorly, Grasshopper.
Now you must pay so that a new choice can be made.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:12 pm
Hey! That’s my little county making the news!

Comment by G'Kar Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:21 pm
Woodford County is going to submit a “special election cost reimbursement request” to Schock tonight. Tazewell County will likely follow suit on the 22nd.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:21 pm
Hmmm…when Denny Hastert decided to quit early in the 14th District several years ago, it cost the counties a ton of cash, around $1 million total IIRC. No one got reimbursed for that one.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:26 pm
I think it makes a good point: “Thanks a lot you, $:&:€#£¥ - now along with your Lincoln/Schock farewell speech, you given us one more pile of crap to endure”.

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:26 pm
“You have reached the voice mail of Aaron Schock. I’m a bit busy right now with a lot of … stuff… so if you want to leave your name and number and, well, your issue with me… I’ll get back to you if my lawyer says so.

Thanks, and wait for the beep..,”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:27 pm
If conficted, would he loose any state pension?

Comment by Todd Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:27 pm
Todd, that would be up to the Board of the GA Retirememt System based on a recommendation from the AG. To the extent the alleged acts have nothing to do with his State service, that might not be an easy call. Other opinions?

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:38 pm
Would it be crazy to pass a law that bills members of the US House of Representatives for costs of special elections when they resign (absent a serious health condition)?

But I have sympathies with Vanilla Man’s position: elections have consequences. If voters choose unwisely they should get hit with a special tax too.

When I saw Jesse Jackson, Jr. on the campaign trail the last time he was saying stuff that didn’t reconcile with reality. A Metra Electric train from Chicago to Peotone in 25 minutes? That’s someone who is not on top of basic facts.

A law that takes a bite from the resigning member of Congress plus some sort of tax that falls on the locals.

Don’t elect goofballs & quitters people.

Comment by Carl Nyberg Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:40 pm
Master Po: Each journey begins and also ends Grasshopper. In every loss there is a gain. As in every gain there is a loss. What happens in a man’s life is already written. A man like Aaron must move through life as his destiny wills.

Comment by Kwai Chang Caine Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:43 pm
I have to wonder how much of this is a stunt, to be honest. One of the Democrat members of the Sangamon County Board linked to the story and wants to poll people to see if Sangamon County (and others) should send a bill.

Comment by Silent Budgeteer Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:48 pm
The city of Springfield has been waiting for 7+ years for our President to reimburse the $50K+ he said he would. Hmmmmmm!

Comment by anon Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:55 pm
Doesn’t hurt to ask.

Comment by Wordslinger Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:55 pm
Just curious, but how would it cost that small of a county $76,000 to open the doors for two elections? According to the County’s own website, there are only 14 precincts. Unless the county is paying 10 election judges per precinct, I have a hard time believing that estimate. Is the county paying churches, libraries and union halls for the “privilege” of voting halls? How did they come to that number? I supposed it would be too much to ask the Marshall County board to ensure that no one is swindling them to provide services or contracts pertaining to a special election.

Comment by Team Sleep Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 2:59 pm
What’s next? You’d be allowed to sue a former elected official if he runs afoul of the law?

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 3:05 pm
Arthur -

I think the law is pretty clear, his GARS pension would only be forfeit if he committed a felony related to his or her service as a GARS member. Unless he is convicted of committing a felony related to his service in the IL GA I don’t see how the GARS board could legally forfeit his pension.

Comment by Pepe Silvio Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 3:40 pm
Why not try to re-coup the costs. Before the Federal Gov’t decides to go after him for the extra costs to cover that ghastly red paint in his old office.
The State and various counties could do well in collecting funds from the various people who retire (Hasert), decide to go to a new job (Prez O), or quit under pressure (Schock).

Why should we pay for their life changes? They might consider their decisions more carefully if a large election invoice was waiting for them.

Comment by Belle Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 3:47 pm
Sure, this wouldn’t set an impossible precedent at all. Yikes.

How about we just allow you in your lovely rural county to opt out of the selection process since the burden is so great. Allow your citizens who care enough to go to the next county over to vote. Maybe one of the candidates on the ballot with a vested interest would be interested in “sponsoring” your special election.

As long as we’re considering stupid suggestions, let’s consider them all.

Comment by A guy Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 3:54 pm
Pepe, I agree. My post above was written in haste and wasn’t a model of clarity. There must be a felony conviction related to the State service for a State pension to be forfeited.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 4:39 pm
“Just curious, but how would it cost that small of a county $76,000 to open the doors for two elections? According to the County’s own website, there are only 14 precincts. Unless the county is paying 10 election judges per precinct, I have a hard time believing that estimate. Is the county paying churches, libraries and union halls for the “privilege” of voting halls? How did they come to that number? I supposed it would be too much to ask the Marshall County board to ensure that no one is swindling them to provide services or contracts pertaining to a special election.”
————-

Actually, that works out to be around $2715 per precinct - sounds about right. Knowing that County, the Clerk has a really good handle on expenses. I’d bet she knows down to the last nickel exactly what costs have been for all of the prior countywide elections (primary and general).

When you take into account all the prep work required to successfully pull off a countywide election, those numbers are not out of line.

“Opening the doors” isn’t where the money is. It’s all the prep work required to get up to that point. Once punch cards were phased out and we went to electronic voting, costs went up - substantially. Just the way it is.

Comment by Judgment Day Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 5:01 pm
“Once punch cards were phased out and we went to electronic voting, costs went up - substantially.”

Thank you Bill Daley for urging Al Gore not to concede in 2000. One of the casualties of that decision was the demise of punch card ballots that were inexpensive and relatively reliable with a low rate of error. The other beauty of punch cards was that ballot booklets could be changed if judicial review ordered candidates reinstated or removed from the ballot late in the game. Now, there is the category of “impounded” votes because the computers cannot be reprogrammed to add or subtract candidates late in the cycle.

Comment by Upon Further Review Monday, Apr 13, 15 @ 9:52 pm
I agree with these counties. Schock should pay for the election, and not outbid his campaign fund, but his personal funds.

Comment by Truthteller Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 8:28 am