Good government is something we all want. Our names, Bob Kirchner and Lisa Bell, are on the ballot for the March 21st Democratic primary in County Board District 9. We have visited every Urbana neighborhood in the district, going door to door to meet voters. It is the old-fashioned way to earn votes, and the best way to find out what people think.

Why are we challenging Barbara Wysocki and Steve Beckett in the Democratic primary? We don't believe their voting record reflects the priorities of the majority of district nine voters. We don't agree with the manner in which they took control of the county board without Democratic support, and we don't agree with their agenda for the county.

The claim of "bi-partisan" government sounds good. But it has often meant just three Democrats—Wysocki, Beckett, and Brendan McGinty—voting with board Republicans. That is the voting block that gave Wysocki and Beckett their positions as county board chair and vice chair. Voters ask why the other 12 board Democrats, who worked with them for years, didn't support their bid to lead the board. Or why after 15 months of their leadership, only one board member endorses their re-election, while eight county board Democrats are endorsing our election.

We are gratified to have the endorsement of the overwhelming majority of current and former Democratic elected officials. But the campaign has been extremely contentious. Our opponents, and the Farm Bureau, are asking Republicans to cross over and vote for them in the Democratic primary. Most voters we talk with believe that Democrats, not Republicans, should decide who will be the Democratic representatives in the general election.

Just five days before the election, States Attorney Julia Rietz, a former law partner of Steve Beckett who has endorsed his campaign, proclaimed that if elected, Lisa and Bob would not be able to vote on the county budget due to a conflict of interest. It is hard to see why Rietz thinks this is an urgent matter, since Lisa's first opportunity to vote on the county budget would be almost two years from now. Whether Lisa would even have a potential conflict depends on whether she is still with the Central Illinois Dental Education Services non profit agency, if that agency still has a contract with the Board of Health, if the county board provides any funding, and if the Illinois Attorney General's office agrees with Rietz. Those are a lot of ifs that are nearly two years in the future—which makes Rietz' last minute opinion look like a political ploy to affect the outcome of the election. Bob voted on four county budgets during his tenure on the board, and the State's Attorney agreed there was no conflict of interest.

What will we work for on the county board? Voters will find complete information on our website at www.countyboard9.com. Briefly, some of the most important issues:

We believe the county must take genuine action to increase minority participation in county construction. Of $20 million in construction contracts for the county nursing home, just $324,000 was awarded to minority contractors. That is only 1.6 per cent of the total, and it demonstrates the need for a professionally-qualified racial disparity study. Without a competent study, the county is legally prohibited from taking the needed affirmative steps to increase minority participation. Board Democrats voted twice to approve a racial disparity study, but each time, Wysocki and Beckett voted with board Republicans to block it.

The facts do not support Wysocki and Beckett's campaign claim that establishing a "pre-qualified vendor's list" has improved minority participation: 1) the ordinance to create the "list" makes no reference to minority or female contractors and is limited to contracts of $20,000 or less; 2) the county is not complying with the ordinance, as it has not even created the necessary application forms or made them available as the ordinance requires; and 3) the list did not even exist until it was created three weeks ago on February 23, nearly ten months after the ordinance was passed.

We will work to restore intergovernmental cooperation on road funding for the heavily-used roads closest to the cities, like Windsor Road. Wysocki and Beckett voted with Republicans to limit county spending and cut off funding for any new joint road projects. This could hamper development and future tax base growth in Urbana. The county must be a responsible partner in using motor fuel tax dollars from city residents to fund their fair share of these key roads.

We believe the county should have a balanced budget. The county's 2006 budget has a $10 million deficit. Prior to Wysocki-Beckett leadership, the Democratic majority passed balanced budgets every year from 2000 through 2005.

On March 21 there is a clear choice. We ask voters for the opportunity to better serve Urbana constituents of District 9.