Peoria Standard

The Peoria County Board met Dec. 1 to discuss budget cuts.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the board:

Sharon K. Williams, District 1

Junior Watkins, District 2

Lynn Scott Pearson, District 3

Chairperson-Andrew A. Rand, District 4

Rachael Parker District 5

G. Allen Mayer, District 6

James C. Dillon, District 7

Phillip Salzer, District 8

Michael Phelan, District 9 Andrew A. Rand - Chairperson

R. Steve Sonnemaker, County Clerk

Vice-Chairperson -Stephen M. Morris, District 10

Mary Ardapple, District 11

Robert Baietto, District 12

James T. Fennell, District 13

Brian Elsasser, District 14

Carol Trumpe, District 15

Brad Harding, District 16

Thomas H. O’Neill, III, District 17

Paul Rosenbohm, District 18

PEORIA COUNTY BOARD

BUDGET MEETING MINUTES

Thursday, December 1, 2016

6:00 PM

County Courthouse • 324 Main Street • County Board Room 403 • Peoria, Illinois 61602

Voice: (309) 672-6056 • Fax: (309) 672-6054 • TDD: (309) 672-6073

www.peoriacounty.org/countyboard

CALL TO ORDER

MOMENT OF SILENCE

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL BY THE COUNTY CLERK

Attendance was taken with the Roll Call-Pro voting system, and the following members of the Board were

present: Ardapple, Baietto, Dillon, Elsasser, Fennell, Harding, Mayer, Morris, Pearson, Phelan, Rand,

Rosenbohm, Salzer, Trumpe, Watkins, Williams, with O’neill and Parker absent.

Chairman Rand congratulated and presented Dillon with a ten year pin and Baietto with a twenty year pin

for their years of service on the County Board.

I. CITIZEN'S REMARKS

Edward Tripp O’Connor, Peoria County Treasurer, addressed the Board with regards to the Treasurer’s

2017 annual budget. He stated that for the last 17 consecutive years, he has submitted a Treasurer’s

annual budget that has met or exceeded the request of the county administrator and he has not

exceeded the approved budget for seventeen consecutive years. He stated that he submitted the 2017

budget in the same manner, and also submitted a revised budget that met the financial requirements

requested by the County Chairman, which had no response from the County administrator. He stated

that he has a constitutional duty to maintain the financial integrity of the office, and to the taxpayers of

Peoria County, while limiting the financial exposure to risks in the operations of the Treasurer’s Office;

therefore, he will not accept the Chairman’s budget presented for the Office. Mr. O’Connor affirmed

that he will operate under the budget he submitted that meets the same financial requirements without

compromising the financial integrity of the office. He said in the last three years the Treasurer’s Office

initiated new revenue programs which generated over $170,000 annually or almost $1,000,000 every

five years. He stressed how those programs will be at jeopardy because they are not core services or

constitutional duties of the office. He stated that the Treasurer’s Office’s expenses today are less than

they were in 2012, and the office’s annual revenues are 19% higher than 2012. He affirmed that he has

been accountable to the County of Peoria for the last eighteen years, and has done his part.

Carol VanWinkle, Peoria County Auditor, addressed the Board with regards to a reduction in personnel

for the 2017 Auditor’s budget. She stated that the 2017 Auditor’s budget does not provide the resources

necessary to fulfill her duties as Auditor. She explained how employee cuts have whittled at the office,

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Minutes, Thursday, December 1, 2016

with the 2014 budget cuts taking the employees from three to two and the 2017 recommendation taking

the count down to one; which has decreased their ability to provide the citizens of Peoria County with

the statutory requirements of the office. She requested that the Board consider leaving the two

employees within the Auditor’s 2017 budget to continue performing the work required to protect the

citizens of Peoria County through auditing every claim that comes through the County.

Kim Schilling, 800 N Lake, addressed the Board with regards to layoffs, and the matrix study. She

stated there is a fine line between having too many employees and not enough employees, and the

Board hired the Matrix Consulting Group to perform a study to make this determination. She

highlighted how the study stated that the County is on the fine line of not having enough employees.

She reported that everyone is doing three to five jobs, and they are so stressed out. She explained how

she is going to a counselor because she is so stressed out thinking about all the work she needs to get

done. She stated that the Board is hurting the County by taking people away.

II. ZONING ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTIONS

1. A resolution from your County Operations Committee recommending adoption of a 2% increase in

the Peoria County Health Plan Premium from the 2016 level effective January 1, 2017 through

December 31, 2017.

Phelan moved to approve the resolution and Salzer seconded. The resolution passed by a roll call

vote of 15 ayes and 1 nay, with Harding voting nay.

2. A resolution from your Health, Public Safety and Justice Committee recommending approval of

the 2017 State's Attorney Appellate Prosecutor Agreement.

Baietto moved to approve the resolution and Mayer seconded. The resolution passed by a roll call

vote of 15 ayes and 1 nay, with Harding voting nay.

3. A resolution from your Ways and Means Committee recommending approval of extending the term

of the Recorder's Automation Fund loan from two years to a total of four years at a rate of 3%.

Mayer moved to approve the resolution and Fennell seconded. The resolution passed by a roll call

vote of 14 ayes and 2 nays, with Elsasser and Harding voting nay.

4. A resolution from your County Operations Committee recommending approval of the FY2017

Capital Improvement Budget and the 2017-2021 Capital Improvement Plan.

Phelan moved to approve the resolution and Salzer seconded.

Mr. Sorrel informed the Board that he has a response for a question asked in committee regarding

the capital improvement plan, and why the road project line item was blank for FY2021. He

explained that IDOT and PPUATS are working through the FY2021 allocation process with new

criteria developed by PPUATS; therefore, allocation from the federal government passed through

the State is currently unknown. He suspects that next year at this time, there will be updated

figures for FY2021 when passing the five year capital improvement plan.

The resolution passed by a roll call vote of 15 ayes and 1 nay, with Harding voting nay.

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Minutes, Thursday, December 1, 2016

5. A joint resolution from your Budget Subcommittee and your Executive Committee recommending

approval of the Annual Authorization for Year End Transfers.

Ardapple moved to approve the resolution and Mayer seconded.

Mr. Sorrel explained that the authorization allows him to make necessary year-end transfers within

the appropriations to meet required expenses.

The resolution passed by a roll call vote of 15 ayes and 1 nay, with Harding voting nay.

6. A joint resolution from your Budget Subcommittee and your Executive Committee recommending

approval to abate the tax levy for the principal and interest payments due in 2017 for:

a. The General Obligation Bonds (alternate revenue source) Series 2010

A and B (partial)

b. The General Obligation Bonds (alternate revenue source) Series 2010 F

c. The General Obligation Bonds (alternate revenue source) Series 2011

Baietto moved to approve the ordinance and Fennell seconded.

Mr. Sorrel explained that the General Obligation Bonds are pieces of debt with alternate revenue

sources tied to them, and by abating, they will use the alternate revenue source to make the bond

payments. He stated that if the resolution were to fail, the result would be an increase in property

taxes to make the bond payments.

The ordinance passed by a roll call vote of 15 ayes and 1 nay, with Elsasser voting nay.

7. A joint resolution from your Budget Subcommittee and your Executive Committee recommending

approval of amendments to the County Board's financial policies.

Mayer moved to approve the resolution and Ardapple seconded. The resolution passed by a roll

call vote of 14 ayes and 2 nays, with Elsasser and Harding voting nay.

8. An Executive Committee report submitted by the Executive Committee Chairman and the County

Administrator on the 2017 Annual Budget for all Funds, including amendments recommended by

all standing committees:

a. County Operations Committee - Michael Phelan

b. Health, Public Safety and Justice Committee - Robert Baietto

c. Land use and Infrastructure Committee - James Dillon

d. Ways and Means Committee - Allen Mayer

e. Joint Budget Subcommittee / Executive Committee - James Fennell / Andrew Rand

Fennell moved for approval and Dillon seconded. The motion passed by a roll call vote of 13 ayes

and 3 nays, with Elsasser, Harding, and Trumpe voting nay.

9. Adoption of the Annual Tax Levy - All Funds

Ardapple moved to approve the ordinance and Fennell seconded.

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Elsasser moved to amend the ordinance with the pink sheets handout and Trumpe seconded.

Elsasser stated that in 2003 the general fund tax levy was lowered by 3¢, while the nursing home’s

tax levy was increased to 6¢. Elsasser highlighted how 3¢ is a little over $1,000,000 and over the

last 13 years that is $13,000,000. Elsasser detailed his amendment to decrease the nursing home’s

levy by 1¢ and to increase the general fund levy by 1¢; mainly to recognize how hard the general

fund employees have worked by doing more with less. Elsasser stated the County has $8,000,000

in the Headington Oaks’ reserve fund, which is just sitting there, and the Board is cutting staff

because they have put all their eggs in one basket. Elsasser confirmed that he supports the layoffs

in part, but there should be fewer layoffs in the core services, and more layoffs in the non-core

services.

Baietto stated that he wants to commend Elsasser on his amendment, but the voters approved 6¢

for the nursing home, and he can’t support using the monies approved by the voters as a slush fund

and start moving it around. Baietto concluded that he can’t support the amendment brought

forward.

Harding noted that the amended resolution stated that staff recommends approval, and requested

their reasoning. Mr. Sorrel stated that the resolution was a standardized form and staff was not

making any recommendation for or against it.

Fennell stated that the nursing home’s fund balance will be spent down and depleted when they

start paying the principal on the bonds, and there is a point where they may run into a negative

fund balance; therefore, those dollars are committed.

Phelan stated that his recollection of history differs from Elsasser’s, as he recalls the Board

lowering the general fund levy because there was more cash than was needed at the time, and the

lowering of the general fund happened to occur simultaneously with the increase to the nursing

home levy.

The motion to amend failed on a roll call vote of 4 ayes and 12 nays, with Elsasser, Harding,

Trumpe, and Watkins voting aye.

The ordinance passed by a roll call vote of 10 ayes and 6 nays, with Baietto, Elsasser, Harding,

Mayer, Phelan, and Trumpe voting nay.

10. Adoption of the Peoria County Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for January 1, 2017

through December 31, 2017.

Fennell moved to approve the ordinance and Ardapple seconded.

Morris moved to amend the ordinance with the orange sheet handout and Mayer seconded.

Mr. Sorrel explained that there are two changes, neither impacts the general fund. The result is a

net decrease in expenditures of $26,300.

The motion to amend passed by a roll call vote of 13 ayes and 3 nays, with Baietto, Elsasser, and

Pearson voting nay.

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Minutes, Thursday, December 1, 2016

Fennell stated that the adoption of the budget has been very difficult, but he believes it’s a good

compromise.

Chairman Rand explained how measures are being taken to create breathing room for a similar

problem that may occur four years from now if the local economy does not improve.

The ordinance as amended passed by a roll call vote of 13 ayes and 3 nays, with Elsasser, Harding,

and Trumpe voting nay.

III. MISCELLANEOUS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Trumpe asked everyone to mark their calendars for March 11, 2017 to attend the next Peoria

County Farm Bureau’s breakfast.

Morris acknowledged that he has learned a great deal from Ardapple, Pearson, and Trumpe, and

that each has taught him a lot about public service; they will be greatly missed.

Fennell seconded the comments from Morris.

IV. ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business before the Board, the Chairman announced the meeting was

adjourned.

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