Shelbyville, Ill. (ECWd) –
Just prior to the February 6, 2025, Shelby County Public Safety Committee meeting, a committee member can be heard asking if Austin Pritchard was on the committee, the chairman responded that he was not on this committee. Then, another board member opined that it would be the concern that it would be a conflict with the dive team if he was on that [public safety] committee, with the chairman shaking his head in agreement. Watch it here.
We ask, if there is a recognized concern about a conflict with the dive team and public safety committee, why no concern about a conflict of the dive team and Budget, Audit, and Legislative Committee? Or with him being a county board member and a department head at the same time? We know the answer, and hopefully the Attorney General will render the appropriate opinion on this sooner rather than later.
Pritchard voted on equipment purchases for the dive team, he voted on the tax levy which included funds for the dive team, and presented and advocated for equipment purchases for the dive team at a committee meeting.
Pritchard is on the Budget, Audit, and Legislative Committee where he presents and receives, in his capacity as county board member, the dive team budget that he develops in his capacity as department head, and reviews the dive team forensic audit as both the county board member and department head – which, by the way, has still not been discussed during a county board meeting – what is he keeping from the public?
It appears the same people whining about the county audits are no longer interested in audits when it involves the dive team.
Time will tell.
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