[October 21, 2013]This month the Logan County
Board agreed to a budget that will be posted for viewing for 30
days.
The finance committee began its work at the beginning of August on
the budget for the next fiscal year, which begins Dec. 1. The
proposed budget was presented to the full board for review and
discussion in September. Several changes were made then.
This
month the committee presented its recommendation of the proposed
budget to the full board.
Beginning at the board of whole on Oct. 10, various board members
proposed amendments to the proposed budget. Numerous long
discussions ensued and straw votes helped show the board what might
gain favor when the vote for display would take place at the
adjourned session.
At the adjourned session on Oct. 16, the proposed budget once
again was put on the table with a new call for amendments to be
brought forward.
The board of whole and adjourned board sessions constituted
nearly 4 1/2 hours of additional pertinent discussion on
budget-related items and the budget.
After lots of discussion, more than an hour into the Wednesday
meeting, the positions and salaries were voted on:
Hire Pam Meagher
as PCOM officer and county board secretary at $32,000 salary,
plus benefits and increases the same as other employees.
Passed 8-1 with Terry Carlton voting "no."
Hire a full-time
employee for the county board office at 35 hours per week at a
salary of $22,500, plus provide raises and benefits that are
afforded to other county employees.
Passed 7-2 with Rohlfs and Ruben voting "no."
The above combined motion and amendment for new positions and
salaries was then voted on and passed unanimously, 9-0.
Following this, the board also unanimously passed a budget for
display purposes.
Board chairman Bob Farmer, Rick Aylesworth and Andy Meister were
not in attendance at the adjourned session, therefore did not cast
votes. This matters in that it increases the possibility that the
budget could change when it comes off display and goes to a vote for
final acceptance at the adjourned session in November.
Amendments to the budget that passed on Wednesday:
Increase salary
raises for nonunion, full-time employees from 3 percent to 4
percent. This includes Janet Kvitle, who manages jury duty for
Logan County.
9-0 vote
Adjust the
assessor's salary to be the same as other full-time, nonunion
employees, from 3 percent to a 4 percent increase, beginning Dec
1.
9-0 vote
Change funding for
Regional Office of Education 38 from $56,000 to $62,000.
6-3 vote with Ruben, Schumacher and Carlton voting "no."
Reduce the
tuberculosis levy from $46,000 to $1 this year. Add $45,999 to
the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund levy for the health
department. This action would aid the department in its ability
to keep the dental clinic open.
Passed 7-2 with Carlton and Ruben voting "no."
Administrator Mark Hilliard explained that it was important for
the department to receive its full levy, $362,864, which the
finance committee had already put into the budget. It was also
needed this year to find a way to provide the IMRF funds. Doing
so would help keep the newer dental clinic open. To allow it to
close would be a serious detriment that could result in losing
the grants that support the clinic's operation, which then could
possibly lead to the dental clinic never being reopened.
Hilliard believed that with time, the clinic will become more
self-sustaining.
Reinstate a line item under animal
control and put $12,000 in it annually. The pool would be grown
a few years, and when sufficient, new construction for offices
and pet visitation would be added. The vacated old office area
would be used to reduce overcrowding of the growing population
of animals.
9-0 vote
At the end of voting on the budget amendments and a unanimous
agreement to put the budget as amended on display for 30 days, Ruben
reminded board members that the votes this month were just to put
the budget on display; this was not the end. The budget would be
voted on again for final approval in November. At that time, those
who were not present Wednesday -- Bob Farmer, Andy Meister and Rick
Aylesworth -- could bring up any of the amendments for a new vote.
Also, those who were on the winning side of the amendments that were
made, pass or fail, could bring amendments forward again for a
revote.
