November Board Meeting

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  The Tazewell County Board held its last, regularly scheduled meeting of 2016 on November 16.  Both the board packet and the financial reports are available on the "Board Packets" tab on the blog.

At the beginning of the meeting, Chairman Zimmerman called up retiring Auditor Vicki Grashoff to honor her for the many years of service she gave to the County.  I would also like to thank her for all she has taught me in my few short years serving on the Board.

In other business, the Board:

1) Approved the County Engineer's request to take bids for various new bridge and road projects for the coming year;

2) Approved further intergovernmental agreements for Animal and Rabies Control with additional municipalities in the County; and

3) Moved to reconsider the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget.

The motion to reconsider was to address the need to recalculate the amount in the contingency line item in the General Fund.  The recalculation was actually a reduction in the line item.  The change was approved and the new budget adopted.

The Board was also presented with a "Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Reduction Plan," which outlines many of the parameters put in place for the County electeds and department heads when making financial-related decisions in the upcoming year.  While this cannot be a "one size fits all" plan, I applaud our finance team for putting this together.  Of particular note:

1) There will be no new full-time employee hires in 2017;

2) A freeze on replacement hires of at least 150 days will begin immediately;

3) Department heads will be given the option of not filling a position and distributing the duties to remaining employees;

4) A budget committee will be formed of certain board committee chairs and the county administrator; and

5) A budget reduction committee will also be formed, consisting of electeds and department heads to constantly review the status of the budget and assess other needs throughout the year.

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I will likely post a final update after our Board is "reorganized" with our new members in early December.  However, I would like to thank my fellow Board members who will no longer be serving with us after November 16.  It has been a pleasure working with you.

That being said, I must also say something about another prior Board member, whom we lost forever last week - Paul Hahn.  For those of you who may not remember, I got to know Paul during the 2012 election, and when he resigned to focus on his health, he went out of his way to recommend I take his seat.  As I got ready to be sworn in, I recall many conversations with Paul, both on the phone and one chat as we walked around his beloved winery in Mackinaw.  I will never forget the main theme of all of those conversations - do not lose sight of why you are on the Board - to serve the best interests of the people, and to keep the costs of the taxpayer down when they want to utilize the services of their government.  I will always remember our chats and will think of Paul often.  

October Board Meeting and Budget/Levy Reports

On October 26, the County Board held its regular monthly meeting, but then held its annual Budget and Levy Hearing immediately thereafter.

During the regular meeting, the Board, among other things, voted to approve:

1) numerous intergovernmental agreements with cities and villages in the County for animal and rabies control services;

2) the County Engineer's salary; and

3) the proposed rules and regulations for the Sheriff's Merit Commission.

To learn more about these issues and the full agenda, you are welcome to click over to the "Board Packets" section of the blog to read the related resolutions and documents.

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Immediately following the Board meeting, the annual Budget and Levy Hearing was called to order.  

During the Budget Hearing, the County's Finance Team announced even further efforts by our Department Heads and Countywide elected officials to reduce their budgets.  For example, an additional $100,000 was reduced from the County's General Fund budget.

After discussion on each fund, the County Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 was approved, but not after we were advised that the Finance Committee and full Board will continue to receive monthly status reports to see if actual revenues fall off from projections, allowing us a chance to review and amend the budget, if necessary.

With the budget approved, the Board then went into the portion of the Hearing related to the tax levies (actually asking for tax dollars) for the various County funds.

In reviewing the proposed estimates, the Finance Team conveyed that with an increase in the County's assessed valuation for taxable properties, we would be approving an overall tax rate decrease, from a 0.49866 tax rate to 0.49669 (a reduction of 0.00197).  The various levies were approved.

I would like to again thank everyone involved in the Budget and Levy process, as it takes countless hours for our office heads, County electeds, Finance Committee Chairman (and Committee), County Administrator, Finance Director, and countless others, to get us to where we could pass a Budget and Levy.

September Board Meeting Report and County News

The September meeting of the County Board was held on the 28th.  The meeting began with a presentation from the Director and CEO of the Tazewell County Resource Center, Jamie Durdel.  Mr. Durdel provided the Board with an update on the various community initiatives and latest programs offered by the TCRC.  For those who have not heard of the great work TCRC does, its website summarizes its mission:

TCRC offers a wide array of programs and services that benefit persons with developmental disabilities and visual impairments who live and work in our community. The agency operates ten facilities located in Tazewell County, Illinois. Job training and placement, goal-oriented therapy, case management, day programs, help for the visually impaired, vocational services, homelike residential programs, and more, all have an important place in the TCRC goal of “Caring for Special People…Birth to Seniors.”

In other action the Board:

1) Approved an amendment to the zoning ordinance requiring a special use permit for outdoor shooting ranges.  Per our Community Development Office, this was originally planned to be part of the Zoning Code as part of the 1997 amendment;

2) Debated about current budgetary constraints, but approved several replacement hires; and

3) Approved the insurance premium structure for County employees for fiscal year 2017.

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BUDGET UPDATE

When the Board meets at the end of this month, it will hold two meetings: the monthly board meeting, and the hearing on the budget.  The final budget to be presented can be reviewed here (and it will take some time to load on your computer based on the file size).

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OTHER NEWS

1) Closure of Manito Road

The County Highway Department has issued a notice that Manito Road will be closed where it crosses the Mackinaw River for bridge replacement.  This is a significant project and current estimates indicate the road will be closed for two years.  This closure will begin on or about November 1, 2016.  To learn more about the detour using Townline and Wagonseller Roads or with questions on the project. do not hesitate to contact the Highway Department at 925-5532.

2) Illinois Constitutional Amendment

I had several constituents contact me regarding the blue notice received from the Secretary of State's office on a proposed constitutional amendment related to Transportation Funds.

In short, the proposed amendment would require revenue generated from transportation-related taxes and fees to be used exclusively for transportation-related purposes.  Should this amendment pass in November, the state would no longer be able to use these transportation funds for other purposes.  A "YES" vote would mean your support this change (prohibiting the use of transportation funds for non-transportation uses).  

Please let me know if you have any questions about this amendment or see the Secretary of State's website.