With the early retirement of Dave Stone as Vermilion County Recorder and prior to November’s election for the seat, Vermilion County board member Crisi Walls was sworn in at Tuesday’s county board meeting as recorder to serve in the position temporarily.
Current Supervisor of Assessments Matt Long won the Republican primary election for recorder, and will be on the November ballot with no current Democrat challenger.
According to Walls, the Vermilion County Republican Central Committee was going to appoint whoever won the primary election to fill out the recorder term until December’s swearing in after the November election.
But Walls, Long said, found out that leaving his supervisor of assessments position early was a hindrance to his Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund retirement, and he would have faced a loss.
Long will finish his current elected position term, and the Vermilion County Republicans had to find a new nominee to temporarily be recorder. Walls was then nominated, approved by the central committee and approved by the county board.
Prior to Walls being sworn in, her county board seat was vacated and that seat will be filled temporarily. Walls is on the November ballot to be re-elected to her county board seat.
Walls said of all the county office seats, recorder means a lot to her. She’s worked at Vermilion County Title for 20 years and is lead examiner. She understands the importance of making sure the recording of documents is completed properly and efficiently for the real estate buyers and sellers.
As Vermilion County Title’s Ryan O’Shaughnessy said, Walls has dedicated her life to this line of work and that’s why it’s important to her and she gets emotional about it.
Walls said it’s not a real glamorous or fancy job, but it’s important and it’s an honor to serve in the recorder position.
The Vermilion County Board met a week later this month. The April meeting is always a week later than usual for township meetings to occur on the second Tuesday of April each year.