Smucker great choice for the county board
By:
Monday, November 03, 2008
Even if I had conducted a personal talent search for my successor on the Champaign County Board, I could not have found one better suited to represent District 8 than Democrat Samuel Smucker.
Smucker's thoughtful preparation for board service is confidence-inspiring. To understand the complex issues of county government, early in 2007 Smucker began a series of interviews with local elected and appointed officials and with community leaders. He became a regular participant at the county board's standing-committee and monthly meetings. Except when sidelined to recover from recent surgery, Smucker attended every county board meeting in the last year and a half. Smucker will not have a steep learning curve to mount as the next board member from District 8.
Smucker will keep faith with voters who six years ago overwhelmingly approved construction of a new public nursing home, fully expecting that its 246 beds would be nearly totally occupied, its finances solvent and its residents cared for by attentive, full-time employees of Champaign County. He will be vigilant in monitoring the work of Management Performance Associates and of the home's new board of directors. He will request public posting of monthly reports on the occupancy of our home and on the level of staffing by costly contract nurses.
I will continue to follow the progress of our cherished home. In Smucker, I will have an ally, and be assured strong advocacy for the preservation of our century-old public institution.
JENNY PUTMAN
Urbana