McLean County Times

Bill Thomas, a trustee on the Atlanta, Illinois, Public Library District, should be charged for failing to address a potential conflict of interest regarding the lease of a building he owns to the library, the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) contend.

In addition, the library board's attorney, Phillip Lenzini, should be reprimanded for providing bad advice regarding the lease.

In the ECW's latest report on the alleged conflict of interest, it said Lenzini advised the district that the library could lease a building owned by Thomas if he met certain conditions: full disclosure of his ownership, abstention from any discussion on the lease and recusal from the vote approving the lease.

Edgar County Watchdogs co-founder John Kraft

According to the ECW, Lenzini did not address a series of other legal requirements, nor did Thomas follow the three conditions he listed.

The group contends that Thomas was present for many of the discussions surrounding the lease and that the board did not acknowledge Thomas’ ownership of the building in a meeting until June 2017.