At the April 5, 2022, Town Council meeting, Allen Skillicorn, a candidate for Town Council, addressed the Council on the subject of “sober homes.”

Mr. Skillcorn said, “When I read the agenda a few days ago I noticed that it wasn’t the same ordinance. I was shocked to see that the distance between homes was cut down. I was shocked to see the numbers had been increased.” Mr. Skillicorn was incorrect. The ordinance in the agenda is what P&Z had recommended; the changes Mr. Skillicorn referred to were recommendations from Town staff to the Council for Council consideration, not changes the Council had already made. For someone who wants to be a councilmember, this lack of attention to detail and lack of knowledge of the Town staff/Council process is disturbing.

One of Mr. Skillicorn’s campaign promises was to have “every dime, online,” so all can see where the Town spends its funds. The problem is, that functionality already exists, as documented in The Times’ front-page article of June 8, 2022, titled “Town finances online.” Apparently, Mr. Skillicorn was unaware that the transparency in Town finances he seeks is already available. Which begs the question, what else about the Town’s operations is Mr. Skillicorn unaware of?

Initially, Mr. Skillicorn touted his experience as an Illinois state legislator as a qualification. But that was quickly dropped when information about his tenure there became public knowledge.

Then, a recent mailer listed Mr. Skillicorn’s 15-year marriage as a qualification to be a councilmember. Since I have been married to my wife for 27 years, does that mean I am almost twice as qualified to be a councilmember as Mr. Skillicorn is? Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Is this someone you want making uninformed decisions on the Council? Not on my ballot.