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URBANA — The Champaign County Board will vote Thursday on whether to appoint William Schoell to fill the District 7 seat vacated by Eric Thorsland.
According to county officials, Thorsland’s resignation went into effect May 8. He previously announced his decision at the board’s April 23 meeting, noting he first began as a zoning board of appeals member before running for county board in 2018.
“My partner lost funding for the research that they do and instead was teaching for two semesters now and has taken another job in another country,” Thorsland explained. “Good for her. And I will be following after she goes over there in June, in September. So it would be hard to serve on the board if I’m living in another country. It’s not like moving to Urbana, which is like another country.”
Assuming Schoell’s appointment is approved, he will serve out the rest of Thorsland’s term, which ends Nov. 30, 2026.
Schoell is likely to win the seat for another term in November. He ran unopposed for District 7 in the recent Democratic primary, and no Republicans have filed to run for the seat.