The County Finance Committee Extravaganza:
Juggling Their Way To Balanced
Mick Parsons For The Prairie Advocate News
Doing their due diligence over a box of donuts carefully purchased within Carroll County, the Finance Committee met last week to go line by line through the budget, trying to find a way back to balanced.
One issue related to the county’s budget problems is the fact that state reimbursements are only at 40%. The committee – as voiced by Sharon Hook – is generally confident that the other 60% will be repaid; but no one really knows when. And while there were clear statements of faith from committee members like Hook, counties in southern Illinois are projecting layoffs if the reimbursements don’t come sooner rather than later. The projected $300,000 General Fund deficit brings every spent penny under scrutiny: from patrol cars and prisoner toothbrushes to tax bill postage and special programming that actually has very little to do with the General Fund – including the U of I Extension Office, which had several supporters present in addition to Extension Director Mark Maidak.
Before the first break, both the State’s Attorney and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department had to face the committee and defend everything from manpower to paper clips. Sheriff Jeff Doran was very direct in laying out what he needs in order to run a “fully functional” jail – including a fully manned 911 system, an adequate number of jailers, and enough money in the budget for TV dinners, dentist visits and medical emergencies.
Annette Rahn commented that the prisoners get “better health coverage than her kids”; but the Sheriff reminded her and the board that state law requires the department to provide prisoners care when necessary. One line item that was discussed at some length was the amount of money spent on housing inmates out of the county. According to Doran, it costs $60 a day to house prisoners in other jails.
Sheriff Doran also pointed out that two of his patrol cars are in desperate need of replacement; while there is no money in the budget for this kind of expense, it was suggested by Mike Doty and supported by several members of the committee that the sheriff’s office use money from the DUI fund – which is fed from DUI fines and seizures – to purchase a new patrol car. There was also some discussion – partially tongue in cheek that the county could claim a percentage of inmates’ commissary funds. Sheriff Doran pointed out, though, that none of his current inmates have more than $20 in their accounts.
The number of 911 operators was also discussed. Annette Rahn asked Sheriff Doran why there are six deputies and eight 911 operators; Doran made a strong case that eight was barely enough and he was already pretty much making do with a less than ideal situation. Jobs, inmate toothbrushes, and a new garage for Animal Control (that will not be built this year, or, depending on projections, any time soon), were also discussed as potential line items that could be put on the chopping block.
Prior to this discussion State’s Attorney Scott Brinkmeier had to defend the laws of physics and explain why he needs a State’s Attorney Assistant. “We have two judges here at least three days of the week,” he said. “where there could potentially be cases going in both courtrooms. I can’t be in both places at one time.”
One of the solutions, suggested by Kevin Reibel, was for Brinkmeier to look into sharing an assistant with another county; but this might also lead to problems with due process when there are multiple cases scheduled for hearings and there simply aren’t enough lawyers to cover each case. Another solution – hiring a part time assistant attorney – would be problematic because “it was hard to find somebody to come in full time.”
The longest discussion after the first break centered on the county’s continued funding of the Extension office. Much has been made lately of the finance committee’s initial funding recommendation, which is less than half of what it has been in past years. Mark Maidak was present to talk to the committee, along with Lou Schau of the Mt. Carroll CDC and Mildred Siedenberg, who has been involved with the Extension and 4-H for 71 years.
The Extension, according to Schau, has “many benefits for the county,” not only in terms of the jobs, but the programs supported by the Extension – many of which would either be cut back or eliminated. Mrs. Siedenberg said, “What I have learned through the years has been invaluable.”
From the bystander’s perspective, the level of questioning and debate in regards to the Extension was far easier than either barrage that the Sheriff or the State’s Attorney endured in justifying their expenditures. That the Extension’s money comes out of a Special Fund rather than the General Fund might be part of the issue; that both the Board and the Extension Office have been through the ringer on this issue might also explain the friendlier tone. In any case, it became clear that Maidak and the Extension supporters came to push their point, and that the Finance Committee, as dedicated as they are to finding a way back to solvency, enjoyed being able to turn the thumb screws on the county’s law enforcement arm.
“It’s not that we spent ourselves into a hole,” said Hook. This is sadly accurate; with the shrinking tax base and lingering impacts of the recession, even responsible spending can, on the outside, look extravagant.
