Veteran former Champaign County to be appointed to fill board vacancy

Deb Pressey, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·1 min read

Aug. 23—URBANA — A veteran Champaign County government official is set to be appointed to fill the unexpired county board term of Stan Harper.

Board Chairman Kyle Patterson said he will nominate Republican John Farney to fill the District 3 seat recently resigned by Harper. The nomination is subject to approval by the board at its meeting today.

Farney, 46, of rural St. Joseph, was the choice of the local Republican Party to fill the vacancy.

If approved, he will serve the rest of Harper's term, which runs through Nov. 30, 2024, and he plans to run for the seat in the 2024 election, he said.

Farney has served as county treasurer and county auditor and formerly worked for the Champaign County Clerk's Office.

His interest in serving on the 22-member county board is all about community service, he said.

"County board District 3 is truly my home," he said. "The district runs from Royal south to Allerton and west to Sadorus and all points in between. I was raised in Homer, consider Philo to be my hometown, attended high school at Unity in Tolono, and we now live in unincorporated St. Joseph. My constituents truly are my friends and family."

Farney currently works for Molitor Financial Group.

Harper, who served on the county board for 11 years, stepped down last month.