Monday, October 27, 2008 11:07 PM CDT
Three county board seats contested
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — Two first-term Coles County Board members and the board’s chairwoman face opposition in the Nov. 4 election
The contested races are in board District 5, Mattoon, and in Districts 9 and 10, Charleston. Current board members who are unopposed are Dan Lawrence and John Bell, while newcomer Clint Bays is unopposed to replace member Ray Allen.
District 5
Republican Mark Degler is challenging incumbent Democrat Shane Rogers. The district is made up of Mattoon voting precincts 8-1, 6-3, 5-1 and 5-2.
Degler, 58, 2800 E. County Road 1000N, is a farmer and a director of the Illinois Corn Growers Association and involved in other farm organizations. He said he’s running to “give the voters a conservative choice,” and criticized Rogers for his attendance record.
“I would like to offer the constituents an opportunity to have a representative that would attend,” Degler said. He said his goals would be to use tax money efficiently, and he’s interested in working on county roads and bridges and with the sheriff’s department.
Rogers, 34, 2316 Western Ave., Mattoon, is a political science instructor at Lake Land College who’s completing his first term. He said if he’s re-elected, it would be his last term.
He defended his attendance by saying he has missed meetings because of work demands, something that won’t continue if he serves another term, noting that he’s one of the few board members who isn’t self-employed or retired.
“I did stay in touch with all the goings-on,” Rogers said, adding that he regularly meets with residents of the district. “All the work that goes on is not inside the courthouse.”
He said he’d like to see the completion of the county’s new interstate interchange system, and he wants to work on economic development and for the county to be “more fiscally responsible.”
District 9
Republican Jan Eads is seeking re-election against Democrat Jim Palmer. The district is made up of Charleston precincts 10, 11, 12 and 15.
Eads, 65, 2125 Meadowlake Drive, owns a real estate business and has been on the board since 1998, the last three years as chairwoman.
“I feel like I have some things to contribute because I’ve gone through so many issues,” she said. “Experience does count for a lot.”
Eads noted that she organized the board’s first-ever planning retreat last year, and wants to do it again after the election. She’d also like to see courthouse repairs completed and then focus on other issues such as tourism and courthouse space needs.
Palmer, 80, 1830 King’s Lane, is a retired geologist who’s running because of the potential for the FutureGen coal plant to be located near Mattoon. He said he thinks he could help the county with the benefits as well as the problems the project would bring.
“There are a whole series of problems mining coal,” Palmer said. “It’s perfectly OK to do it, but you have to do it carefully. First and foremost is use the coal and stop the pollution.”
He said he’d also like to explore promoting the county’s terrain and geological features as tourist attractions, and he favors revisiting a former proposal for a reservoir near Charleston because of increased water use.
District 10
Republican Stan Metzger is challenging incumbent Democrat Joy Russell. The district is made up of Charleston precincts 6, 8 and 19.
Metzger, 41, 4515 W. State St., is a farmer and a member of several farming organizations.
“My family has always been active in the community,” he said. “I will do my best to continue the good direction the county board is in now.”
He said he’d work to oppose tax and fee increases and would be interested in the board of the county Extension Service, but would “serve where I was needed.”
Russell, 54, 506 Deer Run Trail, is the chairwoman of the Eastern Illinois University department of early childhood, elementary and middle level education and is finishing her first term on the board.
“I am very proud of the things the county board has done,” she said. “I’ve felt we’ve worked well as a board and put the county first.”
Russell noted completing of the county comprehensive plan, a “very conservative budget” that still tries to meet needs and courthouse improvements. She wants to continue a “tight line” on expenses and to continue to look into providing more services through technology.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
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