George Danos won reelection for the Champaign County Auditor’s seat, earning 54% of the vote to best Republican Alan Anderson with all precincts counted. Danos will remain in office until the end of his elected term as the county referendum to eliminate the elected position of county auditor did not pass 60-to-40.
Danos faced censure this May from the Champaign City Council with allegations of misconduct. The censure resolution alleged Danos did not regularly log in to his work computer and acted in a manner unbecoming of an elected official. This censure, said Champaign County Executive Steve Summers, sparked concern for the need for the position at all and was a catalyst for the referendum proposal.
“Elimination would have allowed the County to establish a professional financial department that could be held accountable,” Summers said via email.
The actual role of the auditor is antiquated, Summers said. It is an auditor from a private firm hired by the county who does the auditing. The publicly elected auditor presents financial information to the outside auditor, and much of the role can be replaced by software.
Summers said there are not many counties which still have this position, and the existence of two auditors means the county has to pay for two positions.
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On his win, Danos said the voters came through for him.
“The rank and file came home for me, whereas the party machinery betrayed me,” Danos said.
Danos maintains the censure and referendum was a politically motivated defamation of his character. Danos cited his opposition to the public safety tax proposal on this year’s ballot, which 66% of voters rejected, as the reason why the referendum was introduced.
