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March 28, 2024

Lerna Village Clerk, Trustee Resign –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On November 3, 2015

Lerna, IL. (ECWd) –
Tonight’s meeting of the Village of Lerna Board of Trustees received the resignations of Village Clerk, John Protz, and also Village Trustee Janette Beals.
We previously wrote about the apparent conflict with the Village Clerk also working by the hour in the Clerk’s office. He has protested the article, claiming village policy set his salary at the amount he is receiving. He claims he gets a stipend to attend meetings, and also gets paid minimum wage plus fifteen cents per hour working in the Clerk’s office. I have not seen a copy of whatever he says his salary is, but I do not believe an elected village clerk gets paid hourly, if they did they could effectively raise and/or lower their pay any given week they so chose to do so, which violates the Constitution of Illinois.
Additionally, he claims the Coles County Clerk, or someone in that office, told him what to write down on his Statement of Economic Interest. Something the clerk’s office has told me they never do. That, he says, is the reason he didn’t fill out his SEI correctly.
I will research this further and clarify the previous article if need be.
We also know that Trustee Beals was also working for the village by mowing yards and turning the invoice in for payment from the village – which is a violation of the Illinois Municipal Code.
Village President Don Pearcy is still digging in his heals trying to stay on in the conflicted positions of Village President and Village Maintenance Supervisor, which is a violation of the Illinois Municipal Code and a Class 4 Felony for each and every paycheck he gets while in both positions. He receives a check every week.
Why is this so hard to understand about the Illinois Municipal Code?

a) A municipal officer shall not be financially interested directly in the officer’s own name or indirectly in the name of any other person, association, trust, or corporation, in any contract, work, or business of the municipality or in the sale of any article whenever the expense, price, or consideration of the contract, work, business, or sale is paid either from the treasury or by an assessment levied by statute or ordinance.

(d) An officer who violates this Section is guilty of a Class 4 felony. In addition, any office held by an officer so convicted shall become vacant and shall be so declared as part of the judgment of the court.

The next steps for the Village of Lerna are to place “declare office of Village Clerk vacant”, “declare office of Village Trustee vacant”, appoint Clerk, and appoint Trustee, on the agenda of a meeting, declare the offices vacant, and appoint replacements.

Don_Pearcy

Don Pearcy shown in the act of violating the law.

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11 Comments
  • Sabrina
    Posted at 22:50h, 03 November

    Don and the guy who run the water department are both huge pos I’ve had nothing but problems out of them since we moved here due to the fact that hes buddy buddy with someone who is causing my fiance and I grief….he allowed someone else to put a water bill in our name without our acknowledgement therrs a huge list and my fiance and I are very unhappy about it but we do not know how to go about getting something done a out it

    • Village Resident
      Posted at 15:47h, 04 November

      Try contacting a board member and see if that helps.

    • Village Resident
      Posted at 16:11h, 04 November

      You could also go to a board meeting.

      • Non-resident
        Posted at 10:12h, 05 November

        You could also try paying your water bill.

        • Gringa
          Posted at 12:26h, 09 November

          That would be paying someone else’s water bill, wouldn’t it? Someone put a bill in their name.

          • Village Resident
            Posted at 07:27h, 10 November

            I feel there is more to story than we are getting here. I would of been at the first board meeting, contacting every board meeting and anyone else I could think of. Posting it here and not doing anything else seems strange to me. Just saying.

          • jmkraft
            Posted at 07:40h, 10 November

            There is more to the story. I believe the trustee that resigned will be appointed to the Clerk’s position.
            There are other things working behind the scenes that will become public once they are filed.

          • Former Resident
            Posted at 23:19h, 11 December

            Lol duh people! Would you want to pay someone else bill? This has to be illegal on the past of the village … You just can’t put bills in somebody else’s name . another “I will do what I want ” from the mayor and board ! Pathetic

        • Former Resident
          Posted at 23:11h, 11 December

          I’m not surprised. They have been crooks for years . they will the water off on someone who.is a week late but if you “hob-knib” with the right people you can go for months without paying .

        • Former Resident
          Posted at 23:15h, 11 December

          A lot of the people are afraid to say anything because of repercussion . they will be the last Ines to get their snow shoved or who knows what else . times gave changed , its not 1902 lol when I lived their we had a little farm in middle of town lol just because its how it has always been done doesn’t make it right . its small mind mentality like that that keeps Lerna from prospering !!!!!

  • Village Resident
    Posted at 08:38h, 11 November

    I was referring to water bill comment, but Mr. Kraft your comment is very interesting.

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