Tag: McLean County Auditor

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Why a Surety Bond Matters for Taxpayers – Auditor Michele Anderson

By: Diane Benjamin According to this website: https://www.nfp.com/risk-capital/coverage-expertise/commercial-and-contract-surety/surety/bonds-types/public-official-bond/ In a larger sense, it’s not only the government agency that is being protected against non-compliance but the general public as well, since any misappropriation of funds or dereliction of duty directly impacts the local citizenry involved. If it should happen during the period of service of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Evidently No One At the County Knows How to Get Rid of the Current Auditor

By: Diane Benjamin This one is easy, but read this first: . The current Auditor has a surety bond. That bond is required for her position and is paid for by taxpayers. Michele Anderson has now cost the County money because she didn’t do her job. The County can make a claim against her bond […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Berck case against Lizzy Johnston and Cassy Taylor heard in private

By: Diane Benjamin See the agenda for the April 15th 2025 meeting of the Illinois State Board of Elections: https://www.elections.il.gov/AboutTheBoard/Agenda.aspx A hearing was held regarding the complaint filed by Chad Berck. The complaint pertained to Lizzy Johnston and Cassy Taylor raising money on County Property to remove the elected office of Auditor. The complaint was […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Election Commission has a sample ballot now PLUS more you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin https://bloomingtonelectionsil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/24GILBLO_SPECIMEN_FINAL.pdf Unlike the County where the Clerk in charge of elections is actually elected, BEC has this disclaimer on their site: https://bloomingtonelectionsil.gov/november-5th-2024-general-election/specimen-ballot On the County website you can locate what YOUR ballot will look like, it won’t have every office like BEC’s does. That is the difference between being able to hold […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

About the County Auditor

By: Diane Benjamin An EXTERNAL AUDITOR does not do what an elected auditor does. External Auditors check a few transactions and make sure all the numbers are in the right columns. An elected auditor checks every transaction against what is budgeted. The problem has always been THIS auditor. She has no or few staff – […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Anything to win: Fazzini

By: Diane Benjamin A reader sent me the ad below. It’s really funny since Rob is running as a Democrat – check your ballot. How can Fazz run on the Democrat ticket and claim he wants to make the office “not party affiliated”? It’s hilarious to see candidates unwilling to admit they are democrats! In […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington Monday night

By: Diane Benjamin The audit is done, not released though: Evidently the City doesn’t think they have to print the P-Card spending list anymore, just 1 big amount. Amazon purchases are listed without a descriptions – pages of them. Link to Bills and Payroll: https://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=25260 Agenda: http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1090&Inline=True Tari wants to re-appoint Rob Fazzini to the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Proof Page and Malott are the same person

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Does the Local GOP stand for anything?

By:  Diane Benjamin Two readers contacted me yesterday about the candidate who announced for County Auditor as a Republican.  Her name is Trisha Malott.  She voted Democrat in the last two primary elections.  Voting in a Democrat primary used to make people ineligible to run on the GOP ticket – it sure does in reverse.  […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More on Michelle Anderson – County Auditor

By:  Diane Benjamin The statement below is from the City of Bloomington’s CAFR for the year ended 4/30/2019.  Yes, they finally got around to posting it but it still hasn’t been presented to the Council.  Of course data that is 6 months old is pretty useless in the private sector, why care about what government […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Michele Anderson is the problem

By:  Diane Benjamin On October 9th I received a “press release” from Michele Anderson which I read and filed.  I don’t know who else she sent it to, evidently to WGLT who took the bait and did a story.  For an elected official to publicly name call was unprofessional at best.  See it here:  Press […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Fazzini to announce?

By:  Diane Benjamin I think I know what is going on between the McLean County Auditor and Treasurer, it isn’t the huge problem Michelle Anderson is making it out to be. Back in 2014 there was a referendum asking if the Auditor job should be abolished.  I said NO – but the person holding that […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Somebody should watch the “WATCHDOG”

by:  Diane Benjamin See this post from yesterday:  http://blnnews.com/2014/04/04/mclean-county-michelle-anderson-investigation/ County Auditor Michelle Anderson ran for office calling herself a watchdog.  Evidently the rules apply to other offices, not to hers.  As reported yesterday, she paid for new furniture for her office out of a personnel fund. the $13,000 should have been returned to the County […]