For city and county governments, maintaining infrastructure applies to buildings, roads and vehicles. But in recent years, that list has increasingly included information technology. In Champaign County, local officials are trying to come to grips with what they need to keep their IT up to date.

The Champaign County Board will discuss a new report Thursday evening on proposals to consolidate its county jail operations into a single building. That discussion is expected to be the first of several before a decision is reached on the county jail’s future.

For the fourth time since Democrats won a majority on the Champaign County Board in 2002, one of those Democrats has become county board chair with Republican support. Giraldo Rosales was named the county board’s new chair at Monday night’s organization meeting.

Democrats will gain an additional seat, when the Champaign County Board holds its organizational meeting Monday night at 6PM. Six newly elected members will be sworn in. Five of them are Democrats: Leah Taylor, Mike Ingram, Charles Young, Eric Thorsland and Maria Vasquez, plus Republican Jodi Wolken.

In a victory unheard of in a non-presidential election year, Champaign County Democrats have won every countywide office on the ballot --- sheriff, treasurer, auditor, clerk and the new office of county executive.