Jack Minner, a Madison County board member, is under scrutiny for his lack of disclosure and jail renovation vote. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
Jack Minner, a Madison County board member, is under scrutiny for his lack of disclosure and jail renovation vote. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
Madison County board member Jack Minner (D-Edwardsville) is up for re-election this year; however, failure to disclose that the business he worked for had done a considerable amount of business with Madison County on his statements of economic interest filed in 2007 has raised questions.
Minner is the former business manager and marketing director for Farmer Environmental, which provides various environmental consulting services, including for asbestos and lead.
According to the company website, it also tests for “industrial contaminants such as arsenic, hexavalent chromium, silica and mercury.”
Minner has been an ally to fellow Democrat Alan Dunstan, who is the county board chairman.
As the owner of Jack’s 66 Service in Edwardsville for more than 48 years, Minner built a name for himself as a seasoned businessman. He has since sold the business.
The Edwardsville resident began serving on the county board in 2000 and is the chairman of the Finance and Government Operations Committee. He also sits on the Government Relations Committee, the Personnel & Labor Relations Committee, and the Planning and Development Committee.
In 2013, Minner voted in favor of borrowing $18 million for Madison County Jail renovations. But many found it troublesome that Farmer Environmental was a subcontractor for the company hired by the county board to conduct a "needs assessment" for the jail -- and felt Minner should have recused himself from voting.
The company hired the AAIC to perform the renovations. Minner said he was unaware that Farmer Environmental was involved in the project.
At the time, the Edwardsville Intelligencer reported that Minner said he hadn’t done work for Farmer Environmental in over a year despite his name being listed as a business development manager for the company on its website.
County Administrator Joe Parente told the Edwardsville Intelligencer that the AAIC had not specified who would be doing the environmental assessment for the project when it submitted its proposal in 2012.
The Madison County Jail was built in 1979 and underwent expansion in 1983 to increase its occupancy from 100 to 300 inmates. The board voted 20-7 to borrow the $18 million for the renovation.
Back in 2008, Minner told Belleville News-Democrat that he felt he was “well-qualified” for the position on the board because of his extensive work in business and community service.
He also said he top priorities were balancing the county budget with minimal tax increase; maintaining efficient services within the county; encouraging controlled growth throughout Madison County and controlling stormwater runoff and flooding; and improving the county’s levees to 500-year certification.
Minner has five children and lives in Edwardsville with his wife, JaNette. He is being challenged by a Republican for his spot on the county board.
Alerts Sign-up