Although voters could put them out of office in nine weeks, a five-member board for the La Salle County Forest Preserve district authorized nearly 13 months ago was appointed Monday by the La Salle County Board.

Since the district was created via a Nov. 2, 2008, countywide referendum, voters in all but 11 county townships voted to withdraw from the district. Voters in the final 11 townships are slated to consider disconnection during the Tuesday, Feb. 2, primary election.

Monday, the County Board debated whether it made sense to approve the appointments. Some favored holding off until after the Feb. 2 referendums to see what, if anything, remains of the forest preserve district. Others did not want to risk possible legal troubles with the state if the appointments were stalled.

A motion to table the appointments failed by a 13-11 vote. Then a motion to approve the appointments passed 14-8 with two abstentions.

Initially, state law called for the County Board to serve as the Forest Preserve District Board. But legal questions caused the county to seek clarification from the Illinois Attorney General's Office.

In the meantime, after some townships pulled out of the district, a different provision of state law kicked in, changing the format of the forest board to one to five members appointed by the County Board.

After the response from the Attorney General's Office was received in October, County Board Chairman Jerry Hicks, D-Marseilles, said he would move ahead with five nominations the County Board could consider.

Some board members who favored tabling the appointments raised concerns the forest preserve board would rapidly organize and push through a property tax levy before a year-end deadline.

But Hicks said the candidates he nominated said they favored a much slower approach of studying the situation for at least a couple of years before considering any tax levy.

Appointed to the La Salle County Forest Preserve District Board from 33 applicants were:

• Doug Kramarsic of La Salle Township, a prosecutor with the La Salle County State's Attorney's Office.
• Cynthia McKee of South Ottawa Township, a retired certified public accountant and former accounting manager for the city of Carbondale.
• Robert Rogowoski of Dayton Township, a township trustee and the owner of a business in Ottawa.
• Rodney Verdine of South Ottawa Township, the assistant director of the La Salle County Detention Home.
• Todd Volker of Ottawa Township, the owner of a small publishing company and a candidate for the county position filled this month of assistant emergency management agency coordinator.

"We have a pretty good mix of people," said Hicks.

The new board members need to be sworn in and draw lots to establish their staggered initial terms of office for one, two, three, four or five years. Their meeting schedule has yet to be set.

Hicks said he would provide the new board with advice and meeting space as it organizes.

"Primarily they're going to be going through the organization process — which may fall apart in February."




Forest Preserve District appointees