Gouker wins board chairmanship
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| Kim Gouker |
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OREGON – Veteran board member Kim Gouker of Byron was elected chairman by the newly seated Ogle County Board.
Gouker, who has served on the County Board about 14 years, narrowly won the position Monday. The vote was 13-11.
Another board veteran, Lyle Hopkins of Polo also was nominated; that vote ended in a 12-12 tie.
Gouker thanked those who voted for him and promised his first course of action will be to meet with the board members who voted against him.
“I want to find out why and how we can work together,” he said.
Hopkins had mixed emotions about the outcome, but plans to work with Gouker, he said.
“We’re here for the good of the county, not for ourselves,” he said.
John Finfrock of Mount Morris was elected vice chairman, 17-7. Marcia Heuer of Oregon lost her bid for a second term in the post.
Due to reapportionment, which occurs every 10 years, an entirely new board was elected Nov. 6. Based on data collected in the 2010 census, the county is now divided in 8 districts instead of 4. Each new district is represented by three board members.
Over the 10-year period until the next reapportionment in 2022, some of the terms will be 2 years, the rest 4 years. One third of the seats – one from each of the 8 districts – will consist of a 2-year term followed by two 4-year terms. Another third will consist of two 4-year terms followed by a 2-year term. The last third will consist of a 4-year term, a two-year term, and a 4-year term.
Board members who drew the 2-4-4 configuration were Kimberly Kirkolis, District 1; Patricia Nordman, District 2; Bobbie Colbert, District 3 (the board’s lone Democrat); Bruce McKinney, District 4; Dan Janes, District 5; Lee Meyers, District 6; Rich Gronewold, District 7; and Hopkins, District 8.
Those who drew the 4-4-2 configuration were Dick Petrizzo, District 1; Bill Welty, District 2; Ashley Simms, District 3; John Kenney, District 4; Marty Typer, District 5; Dorothy Bowers, District 6; Finfrock, District 7; and Heuer, District 8.
Those who drew the 4-2-4 configuration were Zachary Oltmanns, District 1; Jerry Brooks, District 2; Greg Sparrow, District 3; John O’Brien, District 4; Griffin, District 5; Gouker, District 6; Ron Colson, District 7; and Pat Saunders, District 8.
The new County Board districts are:
– District 1 – Dement, Lynnville, Monroe, and Scott townships.
– District 2 – White Rock, Pine Rock, Lafayette, and Oregon-Nashua townships.
– District 3 – Flagg Township, Precincts 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7.
– District 4 – Flagg Township, Precincts 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
– District 5 – Marion, Rockvale, and Leaf River townships.
– District 6 – Byron Township.
– District 7 – Maryland, Mount Morris, and Forreston townships.
– District 8 – Brookville, Lincoln, Eagle Point, Buffalo, Pine Creek, Woosung, Grand Detour, and Taylor townships.
How they voted
How they voted for Ogle County Board chairman:
Lyle Hopkins 12-12
Yes: Bowers, Brooks, Colbert, Griffin, Gronewold, Heuer, Hopkins, Kenney, Kirkolis, McKinney, Saunders, Sparrow
No: Colson, Finfrock, Gouker, Janes, Meyers, Nordman,O'Brien, Oltmanns, Petrizzo, Simms, Typer, Welty
Kim Gouker 13-11
Yes: Colson, Finfrock, Gouker, Griffin, Janes, Meyers, Nordman,O'Brien, Oltmanns, Petrizzo, Simms, Typer, Welty
No: Bowers, Brooks, Colbert, Gronewold, Heuer, Hopkins, Kenney, Kirkolis, McKinney, Saunders, Sparrow
How they voted for Ogle County Board chairman:
Lyle Hopkins 12-12
Yes: Bowers, Brooks, Colbert, Griffin, Gronewold, Heuer, Hopkins, Kenney, Kirkolis, McKinney, Saunders, Sparrow
No: Colson, Finfrock, Gouker, Janes, Meyers, Nordman,O'Brien, Oltmanns, Petrizzo, Simms, Typer, Welty
Kim Gouker 13-11
Yes: Colson, Finfrock, Gouker, Griffin, Janes, Meyers, Nordman,O'Brien, Oltmanns, Petrizzo, Simms, Typer, Welty
No: Bowers, Brooks, Colbert, Gronewold, Heuer, Hopkins, Kenney, Kirkolis, McKinney, Saunders, Sparrow
