Boone County Dist. 3 candidates talk rodeo, solar panels, economy
Northern Public Radio | By Maria Gardner Lara
Published October 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM CDT
Boone County, IL
Belvidere has gotten a lot of attention over the last year. It’s where President Joe Biden and UAW President Shawn Fain visited and it’s the place where most of the new economic development is happening in Boone County. Here are four candidates running to represent the Third District, which includes most of Belvidere, on the Boone County Board.
Voters will get to choose two candidates. The last day to cast a ballot is November fifth.
Marion Thornberry (R)
Marion Thornberry, Boone County Government
Incumbent Republican Marion Thornberry has lived in and around Belvidere since he was five years old. He’s retired from the trucking industry. He was first on the board from 2012 to 2014 and was elected again in 2022.
He said he’s running for the same reason folks have encouraged him to run.
“We have to have responsible people involved in the different seats, like county board chairman and people of that nature," Thornbery said. "We have to have people in there that's into it for the betterment of the community and not their own special agendas.”
Republicans hold all 12 seats of the county board.
Thornberry said rodeos is one of the most pressing issues facing the county.
He’s referring to coleaderos. It’s a sport that involves a horse rider attempting to knock down a steer by its tail. Mexican-American families have held the events on their property for over 20 years in the county.
Thornberry is one of the main supporters calling for a ban on steer-tailing, which would put an end to the Mexican-style rodeos.
“A lot of people think we're trying to get rid of the rodeo itself, but we're not,” he said. “All we're trying to do is to get them to eliminate the animal cruelty.”
The county board held two rounds of special meetings to review regulations for the events. Thornberry attended the meetings regularly, though he wasn’t on the committee.
He often criticized the Assistant State’s Attorney on her advice to the committee.
“One of the things that we brought to her attention, she claims we can't defend,” Thornberry said. “Whether we can or can’t is irrelevant, immaterial. The State's Attorney job is to defend what the county board put’s out there.”
Several civil rights activists and Latino leaders have criticized the board for its focus on the Mexican-style rodeos that they find to be racially motivated.
Thornberry disagrees. “It doesn't have any place in the argument at all," he said. "It's all about animal cruelty.”
And yet, the Assistant State’s Attorney has reminded the board repeatedly that under Illinois law, steer tailing is not illegal.
The board's scrutiny over the Mexican-style rodeos has received the attention from the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. In November, his office warned the board about taking discriminatory action that would treat Mexican-style rodeos differently from American-style rodeos.
Nevertheless, Thornberry said some of the board members are looking at another attempt at regulating the Mexican-style rodeos.
“Once we get a better clarification of what we need to do, then maybe we can get this to where there's not so much conflict between us and the Latin American people” he said.
The Third District includes most of Belvidere. It's become more diverse since the last US Census. The Hispanic community makes up about 40 percent of the population, which is a five percent increase from the previous count. In contrast, the white population has gone down about three percent in the same time period.
Thornberry said the board does a good job serving all of the county residents.
“Nothing we do in Boone County is reprehensive to the Mexican Latino community,” he said. “Everything we do is voted for the community regardless of race.”
He said another issue facing the county is solar business seeking land.
He said solar business should only be allowed on farmland of less quality versus on prime land.
“We're simply asking, just put it where we'll do the least harm to the farm industry,” Thornberry said.
It’s becoming more difficult for the county to restrict solar business since the state passed a law limiting local decision making.
As Belvidere attracts big businesses to the area, the need for housing has increased. Thornberry, though, said that’s not a county problem.
“I think the housing problem is mainly within the city, and that falls within the city ordinances and how they do stuff,” he said.
Regarding water management, Thornberry said the county is on the right track with hiring Dan Kane, a local water expert, to oversee the water conservation efforts on a part-time basis.
“Now, once he decides he's done, then we will have to hire someone to replace him,” he said. “And our administrator is looking into that right now.”
Michael Carlyle (D)
Michael Carlyle, Boone County Democrats
This is Carlyle's first time running. He's lived in the area since the 70s. He’s semi-retired from his home remodeling business.
Carlyle said high property taxes is a main driver for running for the Board.
“Because of the actual assessed values, some folks' taxes are going up astronomically,” he said. “And nobody seems to want to fix that at the state level. Nobody wants to have that conversation.”
He said another concern he has is the new business developments happening in Belvidere. He wants answers about the community impact on tax breaks given to companies to lure them to the county.
“They don't want people to know that tax money, depending on who gave up their rates, we may not see any relief from the growth that we are currently under in the city limits anyway,” he said.
He questions whether the jobs created by Project Yukon and, eventually a Walmart distribution center, provide decent wages.
“It's a great job for some, but it's not a job where . . . the pay for a fork truck driver could not afford to live in my house, and I don't have a high end house,” he said.
He said housing is a big concern and an area he’d focus on addressing if elected to the board.
“The jobs that are being created in that little section of business aren't paying a whole lot of money, and we won't have the proper housing to keep them here in town,” he said.
And he’s worried about the county’s oversight of the water management of these large industrial developments.
“Lack of inspections, lack of ordinances to control certain buildings and what they can and can't do with the storm sewer runoff - that's been a problem,” he said.
Regarding rodeos, he said, “To me, it seems to be definitely racially drawn, and I don't understand.”
Some local residents and an outside animal rights group have driven the push for the ban.
“Why are we listening to people that live Elburn, Colorado, California?,” he asked. “They don't even pay taxes here.”
Matthew Ragano (R)
Matthew Ragano, Facebook
Matthew Ragano is a retired construction worker. For 25 years he also was an Elvis Presley impersonator. He’s lived in Belvidere for nearly 30 years. This is his second time running for the Boone County Board.
Ragano said one of his goals if elected to the Boone County Board is to lower taxes.
“Well, I think I could do a great deal to help the citizens of Third District and help Boone County lower, whatever taxes there are, “ Ragano said.
He said some residents complain about an issue, but are afraid to call up a government office to find a solution.
“So I figured, well, if, if they don't, they need somebody that can take the problem to the right person and take care of it,” he said.
Ragano said recently he solved a resident's problem himself, after a sewer repair from the city left a hole in their yard.
“So, I went over there today and actually put dirt down and seedling down for them, and they're happy now.”
On rodeos, he's more aligned with the incumbent Thornberry.
“Just don't treat the animals without respect,” he said. “I think they need respect like they were a family member.”
Ragano said residents of the third district face a difficult economy.
“The economy is just going through the roof,” he said. “And nobody's making enough money to support ourselves, because it's all going to bills.”
He said housing is a problem especially for those who are low-income.
“There's nothing out there that they can afford, whether it be Section Eight or on a fixed income,” he said.
Ragano said jobs and safety are also on his mind.
“People have to work, walk around worried about safety, and they shouldn't have to worry about where they go or where they shop or work this and that,” he said.
He also supports finding ways to ensure safe, drinkable water.
Michael Hart (D)
Hart grew up In Belvidere and earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. He's now a software engineer. For 14 years, he’s sat on the Boone County Art Council.
He says one of the cornerstones of his campaign is more use of the imagination at the board.
“Historically, we've done a lot of saying no to things in Boone County at the county board level and that's stopped a lot of opportunities from coming our way,” he said. “So, I'd like to change that.”
For example on solar energy, he said, “We should use our imaginations, and instead of saying ‘no’ to any solar project that we can say no to, why don't we evaluate how we can protect our natural farm resources, and at the same time become a leader in renewable resources."
The other theme of his campaign is inclusion.
“The county board as it sits right now, is 100% Republican, almost all male, almost all white male,” he said. “And I know that I'm also a white male, but I want to include other voices that aren't being heard currently at the county board level.”
He said while the Mexican-style rodeos and solar panels get a lot attention, one big concern for him is healthcare.
“I talked to lots of community members that are frustrated with the limited access to quality health care in our neighborhood and our in our county,” he said.
Hart said it’s about looking at creative solutions “like beefing up the offerings of the local health department or investing in other local infrastructure that would promote public health.”
He said the lack of affordable housing is another issue. And one approach is to look at how other communities have addressed it.
“It probably involves some things, like creating some multifamily housing,” he said.
Other issues Hart cares about include jobs and supporting career education programs.
“How can we invest more in those type of things that are going to get students in a pipeline for real livable wage, paying jobs for working families,” he said, “because that feeds right back into the prosperity of the community as well.”
