East Central Reporter

Champaign County - The Mahomet Township Road District is under scrutiny following allegations of multiple bidding violations. Highway Commissioner Chris Doenitz has been notified by the Attorney General Public Integrity Bureau (AG PIB) after these issues came to light.

A request was made for all bid publications from May 1, 2019, through November 14, 2024. The response from the Road District was: “Finally, the Road District does not have documentation for your request #5).”

The law clearly outlines bidding obligations, prompting local citizens to seek AG PIB intervention for potential legal action against the Road District. Records indicate several contracts and purchases exceeding $30,000 were not documented as being put out for bid. Some items may be exempt if they were on the state bid list or purchased through entities that manage bidding processes in advance.

The AG Public Integrity Bureau decided against prosecutions but implemented measures to prevent future excuses such as "We didn’t know." Mandatory training attestation documents and a PowerPoint training record were provided to ensure compliance with bidding laws moving forward.

This development suggests that officials can no longer claim ignorance regarding their legal responsibilities. It raises the idea of requiring public officials to sign attestations acknowledging their understanding of legal obligations when taking office.

Doenitz will not seek re-election as Highway Commissioner.