Editorial: Personal spats impede public business

Where the middle ground rests in the simmering feud between Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen and Coroner Rob Russell, we're not prepared to say. But we do know that the two public officials will never find it the way they are going about it now.

The undercurrent of bickering that has run through their communications in recent months has done nothing to advance either man's goals. In fact, it has doubtless set them all back, doing little more than to provide an object lesson for other boards and officials in what can happen when professional differences are allowed to become personal.

Russell was elected to the coroner's position in 2012, taking over an office that was beset by years of mismanagement, neglect and outright corruption. He has worked hard to straighten things out, and no one could honestly argue that he hasn't made progress. Just this year, the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners accredited the operation following a thorough audit, a declaration the group has accorded only 20 other such offices around the country.

It's progress of which Russell and everyone in his entire office can be proud. Yet - as the ongoing process to remove dangerous mold from the county morgue demonstrates - much remains to be done, and Russell cannot be faulted for wanting to do it as soon as possible.

At the same time, Lauzen - and perhaps other board members - cannot be faulted for questioning Russell's budget goals. In an era when Kane County, like most governments, remains appropriately fixated on the bottom line, any new spending deserves special attention, and Russell's bid to boost his budget naturally deserves scrutiny, even considering the lack of increases of the past two years.

That's not to say that his requests are out of line nor that county overseers were correct to entirely dismiss his proposal for up to $104,000 in additional spending next year. It merely emphasizes that two distinct agencies - the coroner's office and the county board - have distinct responsibilities.

How they go about meeting them is the real issue, and so far, the approach has been far from productive.

Lauzen's repeated complaints - including willingness to spend $20,000 to audit the coroner's autopsy practices - about an office that accounts for only about 1 percent of county spending have stretched the bounds of scrutiny at times to suggest outright bullying. Russell's insistence on the shortcomings of a flat budget to which he previously agreed - "Do we have a $120,000 overage? Or (are we) $120,000 underfunded?" - can have a ring of petulant insolence.

Good government is achieved through respect - of individuals and of the jobs they have to do. Lauzen and Russell don't have to like each other personally, but they have a long way to go to show the kind of respect for their two offices that will be required for either of them to reach their legitimate goals.