With a November election looming, Winnebago County Board Member Jean Crosby is vowing to continue her fight to restore operational powers to the county chairman’s office.
A Rockford Republican, Crosby says an official elected by a countywide vote ought to be the top dog at Winnebago County administrative headquarters, not a hired administrator.
“I’m not going away,” Crosby said. “It’s not about the chairman, it’s about the office.”
In late 2017, the County Board took a series of steps to strip the office of its authority to hire, fire and supervise county administration amid a conflict with former Chairman Frank Haney. Those responsibilities were never restored.
But Crosby, who is not seeking a fourth term, argues that either the chairman should lead the county, or the position should be eliminated. She said voters approved a referendum in the early 1990s that created a countywide vote for board chairman. The alternative is to have a chairman selected by the board from among the County Board members.