The Peoria County Auditor is resigning her position, effective Dec. 31, citing the recent county budget cuts.
Carol VanWinkle made the announcement yesterday. She says when she took the oath of the office she sworn to support the Illinois Constitution and perform certain duties.
VanWinkle says her office operates minimally with a staff of two and better with three. She says the recent budget cuts the county board approved will leave her office with one person, and it's not possible to do the job that way.
“There’s a lot of things that have to be done to make sure that you not paying a duplicate payment, paying something that is costing taxpayers more than it should and with one employee to not only to that job but all the other duties that we have to do it’s just not possible,” VanWinkle said.
VanWinkle was just re-elected in November and sworn-in to her third term in office earlier this month. She was appointed to the position in 2007.
“I feel badly that I just went up for election and people trusted me, people voted for me, but I am not going to take a paycheck for work I am not doing,” VanWinkle said.
The Peoria County Sheriff has also expressed concerns about being handling to work of his department under the budget cuts to that office.