Council Annoyance at the Board

City Councilwoman Clarissa Nickerson Fourman was annoyed at the Champaign County Board for it's vote to urge the City Council to take up one of the Racial Justice Task Force's recommendations. I was taken aback by the argument, but she explained to me that it wasn't about animosity, but rather annoyance towards the Board for "passing a resolution instead of picking up the phone. Thats the issue."

A couple excerpts:

What I see is a government body that cannot get anything done BUT successfully pass a resolution to tell another government body what to do. I see fake political moves with the excuse on the backs of the most vulnerable who don’t realize all of you speaking for this housing ordinance, aren’t doing anything to create affordable housing or create employment that hires felons, so the same group you “claim” to be represented is really getting smoke and mirrors and doesn’t know.

The way you work with people is dialogue. This move the county board pulled is divisive and not constructive. And it’s another example of why no one takes the county board seriously. I’m very disappointed that the county board chair didn’t reach out to our Mayor to discuss our council’s position. We work TOGETHER. We don’t conquer and divide. The fact that you guys only came together on this issue is SCARY!!!!!

It was surprising because the same recommendation was made in 2016 by both the Champaign County Re-Entry Council and City of Champaign's Human Relations Commission in October of 2016. The public nature of the Racial Justice Task Force by organizations, police departments, and government officials of both cities on the County task force, as well as its highly public presentation at the Champaign Public Library makes this a years long issue of both City and County bodies.

That said, perhaps the Champaign County board overstepped it's authority, or as Councilwoman Fourman put it, didn't stay in their own lane.