Madison County Board Chair Kurt PrenzlerEDWARDSVILLE – The agenda for Wednesday’s Madison County board meeting includes a discussion about the removal of Charlotte Dixon from the Metro East Sanitary District Board of Commissioners.

“Dixon’s recent votes to create an unnecessary $108,000/year job, and then give the Executive Director Rick Fancher a raise are the reasons I’m again calling for Dixon’s removal from the board,” Prenzler said.

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The MESD board, on Sept. 19, voted to hire retired Granite City Police Chief Mike Nordstrom at $100,000/year, plus another $8,000/year for “not taking health insurance.” The board also voted to give Fancher a raise to $111,240/year.

Commissioner Charlie Brinza cast the sole vote against both actions of the board.

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Prenzler submitted a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to MESD asking for Nordstrom’s job description and application, but was told there was “nothing on file.”

Twice this year, after her term expired in December 2022, Prenzler asked to county board to remove Dixon from the board, for continuing to take health insurance.

He claimed the health insurance benefit was in violation of state statute, which effectively capped commissioners’ salary at $14,500/year, the same as Madison County board members.

Several months after Prenzler brought the health insurance issue to light a law was passed allowing MESD to provide health insurance to commissioners, above their annual salary.

“MESD should be working for the people, not a privileged few,” he said.

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