Carl Ray of Washington, Ill., has stepped forward to challenge U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, the youngest congressman now serving.

"I've been disappointed in the performance of our current congressman," Ray said Friday. "He's put ideology over good government."

The 43-year-old, who makes his living studying the equipment and infrastructure needs for Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, said Schock's vote against the State Children's Health Insurance Plan hit home for him when he was forced to choose between crippling financial hardship or foregoing treatment for his autistic son.

"We were on financially thin ice and faced with a choice between a child who would never speak or we could risk financial ruin going ahead with medical treatment," Ray said. "As parents we had no choice: We got him the therapy he needed, and in the end, it financially destroyed us. We were bankrupted by it."

The West Virginia native moved to Illinois when he was 6. He served in the Air Force from 1987 to 1991, where he spent time working in avionics before leaving with the rank of staff sergeant.

Ray has also worked for Union Pacific Railroad, and holds a bachelor's degree in political science and an MBA, both from the University of Illinois.

The election will be Nov. 2, 2010.

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Everywhere county officials look these days, they seem to find another potential tiger trap to fall into if the Illinois General Assembly fails to pump more revenue into the anemic fiscal 2010 state budget.

One of the latest potential problems to come to their attention is people who die impoverished and currently are buried using public aid funds that could vanish after July 1.

Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day said every coroner in the state depends on the public aid money, which is $1,103 paid to a funeral home for its expenses and $552 paid to the cemetery for the burial costs. He said the funds are paid directly to funeral homes and cemeteries who apply to the state for the reimbursement.

If the money dries up, counties will wind up footing the bill, Day said. In Macon County alone, the cost could easily be $165,000 or more each year, he said.

"Under state law, the coroner is the avenue of last resort," Day said. "If no one comes forward to claim an indigent person's body, we step in. We potentially could have 200 such cases a year if the state fails to pay. Even 75 to 100 cases a year would be a budget buster for us."

All the local funeral homes have been gracious in helping the county deal with indigent persons, providing dignified final services even though it likely will be months until they receive the state reimbursement, Day said.

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Assessments on Macon County farmland will increase by 10 percent for 2010, according to Supervisor of Assessments Daysa Miller.

The county's farmland assessment board will conduct a hearing on the 2010 assessment level at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Miller's office on the fourth floor of the Macon County Office Building, 141 S. Main St. Anyone wishing to comment on the assessment increase is welcome to attend.

If past history is any guide, no one is likely to appear for the hearing that is required by law.

Farmland assessments actually increased by more than 10 percent for the coming year, but that is the maximum annual increase allowed by law, Miller said. The valuations were increased by 10 percent last year for 2009, she said.

The state law provides a formula for setting farmland assessments that includes such factors as crop prices and soil productivity.

Miller said crop price increases are largely responsible for pushing the assessed valuation higher, and if prices continue to rise, valuations will also.

klowe@herald-review.com|421-7985 and ringram@herald-review.com|421-7973.