La Salle County Board to fill Witczak vacancy within 60 days

La Salle County Democrats are looking for someone to fill a vacancy on the La Salle County Board, which has 60 days to find a successor for the late Joe Witczak.

On Thursday, the County Board held a moment of silence honoring Witczak, a Peru Democrat who died April 28. Witczak, a former Peru alderman who battled health problems recently, was 60.

The board then declared a vacancy, which officially begins the process of naming a replacement (it must be a Democrat) within 60 days.

“He was one of a kind, and he’s going to be missed.”

—  La Salle County Board member Tom Walsh (D-Ottawa)

Several board members paid tribute to a colleague they recalled as insightful, considerate and engaging.

“One thing about Joe: He always had a smile on his face and the ability to get along with all 29 board members,” said Mike Kasap, D-La Salle.

“He was very much for the people,” said Brian Dose, D-Ottawa, who remembered Witczak as a consensus builder. “He was someone who, once he got elected, didn’t view himself as a Democrat or a Republican, he was there to represent the people.”

“He was one of a kind, and he’s going to be missed,” said Tom Walsh, D-Ottawa.

In other matters, the board:

• tabled a motion on a petition by Northern White Sand, which seeks to amend its special use to add additional load-out facilities in Utica Township.
• conferred the student awards on Lenee McCoy of Holy Family School in Oglesby and on Edgar Arteaga of Mendota High School.
• learned from Bob Navarro of Heritage Corridor that tourists spent $275 million in La Salle County in 2021, the last year for which statistics are available.
• approved a special use to Martin Rebbec and Grantham Solar LLC for a 5-megawatt solar farm in Groveland Township.
• approved a resolution asking lawmakers to increase funding of the Illinois Township Bridge Program.