Ford County, IL elected officials: county board members, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Ford County: 3 seats on 3 elected bodies. 2 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Circuit ClerkKasi Schwarz source
County Clerk & RecorderKelsie Vaughn sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

School Board

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Regional Superintendent of SchoolsJon Kelly sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Ford County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 54 local governments in Ford County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government10
Cities, towns, villages and townships (9 municipal, 12 township)210
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)300

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Ford County

13,406people
41.9median ageU.S.: 38.9
$62,439 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
12.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
18.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$122,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.6%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.7%U.S.: 8.4%
44%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
21.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 5.3% · White 89.4% · Black 0.3% · Asian 0.4% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Ford County

3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.1%. Illinois: 4.2%.
216people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,356people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
6,572in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Ford County 0.0%1.6%3.3%4.9%6.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.3%2166,3566,572
August 20263.6%2286,0296,257
July 20263.6%2286,1036,331
June 20264.3%2716,0766,347
May 20264.0%2586,2406,498
April 20263.7%2396,2816,520
March 20264.7%3146,3126,626
February 20265.1%3356,2256,560
January 20265.4%3415,9166,257
December 20254.8%3126,2066,518
November 20254.5%2936,2636,556
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.1%2666,2076,473
August 20254.7%2935,8766,169
July 20254.8%3026,0366,338
June 20254.2%2646,0456,309
May 20253.6%2346,2306,464
April 20253.4%2276,4286,655
March 20253.9%2566,2966,552
February 20254.3%2816,2686,549
January 20254.9%3075,9766,283
December 20243.5%2316,3176,548
November 20243.5%2316,4106,641
October 20243.4%2256,4126,637
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.3%2766,1666,442
20244.3%2806,2916,571
20234.4%2886,2636,551
20224.1%2666,2306,496
20214.4%2896,2216,510
20206.2%4016,0476,448
20194.1%2746,3766,650
20184.7%3116,3606,671
20174.7%3156,3296,644
20165.4%3616,3286,689

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Illinois's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.6% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Ford County

81.4 per 100,0002020. Illinois: 425.9.
1,021.0 per 100,0002020. Illinois: 1,559.4.
0murders2020, 11 violent crimes in all.

2020 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20201181.41381,021.0
2019643.3107771.5
2018857.795685.1
2017749.01601,121.0
20161283.41781,237.3
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ford County Sheriff's Office20258215,640
Paxton Police Department202410244,315
Gibson City Police Department20202233,214

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Illinois · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.59 per 1,000 residents2019, 3 agencies serving 13,106 people.
34sworn officers2019, full-time, as of October 31.
7civilian staff2019, full-time.

2019 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.

Agencies counted (3), 2019
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Ford County Sheriff's Office2065,627
Gibson City Police Department713,283
Paxton Police Department704,196

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Ford County Circuit Clerk?
Kasi Schwarz is the Circuit Clerk of Ford County, Illinois.
Who is the Ford County County Clerk & Recorder?
Kelsie Vaughn is the County Clerk & Recorder of Ford County, Illinois. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is on the Ford County School Board?
Jon Kelly (Regional Superintendent of Schools).
What is the population of Ford County?
About 13,406 people, with a median age of 41.9; the median household income is $62,439 and 12.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Ford County?
3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 216 people unemployed in a labor force of 6,572, against 4.1% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Ford County?
54 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 12 township, 2 school district and 30 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the State Board of Elections' list of election authorities (county clerks), the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts' directory of circuit clerks, the State Board of Education's directory of regional offices of education, the Cook County Clerk's 2025 Directory of Elected Officials, and the large counties' own websites; officials appointed since those lists were updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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