Meister Launches Bid For Recorder
Rob Meister of Champaign announces his candidacy for county recorder outside his restaurant, Minneci's, in Champaign Tuesday. (Jeff Bossert/WILL)
Restaurant owner Rob Meister says he’s running for Champaign County Recorder of Deeds. The Champaign Republican says recorders in other counties are starting to provide a number of services online rather than requiring a visit to the office.
Meister said if the same was done in Champaign County, the recorder’s duties could one day be absorbed into another county position, like county clerk.
“I think if they could focus more on progress instead of paperwork, we’d actually have a little bit more going on in our community," he said. "We already have plenty of development, I think we could have even more. We could have a really robust growth if people were able to have a streamlined process in front of them. And if that’s what it turns into, then it should be very easy for it to be absorbed.”
Meister announced his candidacy for recorder outside of his restaurant, Minneci’s. He’s seeking the office currently held by fellow Republican Barb Frasca, who’s retiring after 20 years in office.
There was some speculation that Meister would challenge Democrat Scott Bennett for the 52nd District Illinois Senate seat. But he said that instead, he’s seeking an office that won’t involve partisan politics. Meister ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois House three years ago.
He said given the political climate, a campaign for the legislature doesn't excite him now.
"And it doesn't excite people my age," said Meister, 32. "We've already been disheartened and a litte turned off by politics as usual, and we get hit from it every direction. And especially in this election year, it's going to be even more so. We have so many people that are going to be trying to drive a wedge, and millennials are a big voting block, so they're going trying to try to drive that wedge right into millennials to try to get them to vote one way or the other. And there just needs to be a break from that."
Meister could face another Republican rival in Mark Shelden. The former Champaign County Clerk was in Champaign-Urbana’s July 4th parade with a 'Shelden for Recorder' banner --- and said he’ll formally announce plans next week.