Peoria Standard

Peoria County Budget Subcommittee met November 9.

Here is the minutes provided by the Subcommittee:

Members Present: James Fennell – Chairman; James Dillon – Vice Chairman, Robert Baietto, Allen Mayer, Stephen Morris, Thomas O'Neill, Rachael Parker, Andrew Rand, Phillip Salzer, Sharon Williams

Members Absent: Steven Rieker, Paul Rosenbohm

Others Present: Scott Sorrel – County Administrator; Shauna Musselman - Assistant County Administrator; Jerry Brady, Larry Evans - State's Attorney's Office; Gregory Adamson, Kate Pastucha – County Board Members; Julie Ciesla – Finance; Monica Hendrickson – Health Department; Jamie Harwood, Jeff Howard – Coroner; Beth Derry, Jennifer Yoder – Regional Office of Education; Angela Loftus – Asst. Director of Human Resources; Gretchen Pearsall – Director of Strategic Communications; Jennifer Shadid – Courts; Mark Little – Chief Information Officer; Karen Raithel – Recycling & Resource Conservation; Steve Sonnemaker – County Clerk; Chris Kaergard – PJS

Call to Order:

Chairman Fennell called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.

Resolutions:

• Regional Office of Education – Budget Amendment

A motion to approve was made by Mr. Mayer and seconded by Mr. O’Neill. Mr. Sorrel explained that although the County Board decreased the expenditure budget of the Regional Office of Education by the equivalent of one FTE, a reduction in staffing levels is the decision of the elected official, who chose not to reduce staff. He stated that as a result, the Personnel budget has been exhausted and there are insufficient funds available in the commodities and contractual portions of the budget to cover the overage, and the Office will exceed its spending authority. He advised that Ms. Derry has recommended utilizing available discretionary funds in non-county operations to reimburse the county for those incurred expenses.

Mr. Sorrel advised that the amendment would increase revenues of the ROE budget by $35,600.00 in the General Fund, $2,025.00 in FICA, and $2,557.00 in IMRF, with corresponding expenditures. He stated that as part of the FY2018 budget, the ROE intends to move a current employee on the county payroll to the non-county portion of the operation.

The motion carried unanimously.

• Peoria County Coroner – Budget Amendment

A motion to approve was made by Mr. Rand and seconded by Ms. Williams. Mr. Sorrel advised that several factors have led to the department exhausting its original spending authority in personnel services and contractual services.

Mr. Sorrel summarized the actions necessary to correct the overage. He advised that capital expenses incurred should be reclassified from contractual services to the Capital Project Budget Fund, and to the General County department budget in the General Fund. He commented that a fee study reviewing morgue fees determined that the County was significantly undercharging for the use of the County morgue, and a resolution will be brought forward to increase those fees.

Mr. Sorrel advised that in the past, the Coroner’s Office was expending enough in overtime to potentially review hiring additional staff, which would decrease overtime costs accordingly. Mr. Harwood has hired part-time coroners, deputy coroners in an attempt to offset those costs. He advised that a budget amendment to right-size the Personnel budget would come from both reserves and moving funds from the commodities portion of the budget to the Personnel budget.

Mr. Sorrel advised that acceptance and appropriation of grant funds obtained by Mr. Harwood would go toward contractual expenses. He commented that although the office has seen a reduction in autopsies from the previous Coroner’s numbers, the number of autopsies performed has exceeded the budgeted number, accounting for the majority of overages within the contractual portion of the budget. He stated that a budget amendment is requested to increase the Coroner’s contractual services from General Fund reserves to cover the overage.

(Mr. Baietto enters meeting.)

Mr. Harwood advised that the office will continue to attempt to reduce the overtime expenditures by hiring positions as described by Mr. Sorrel. Regarding autopsy numbers, he noted although 50 less autopsies have been performed in 2017 to date, the office incurred a 60% reduction in spending from the previous year, and the line item was ultimately underfunded for this year. He advised that the 2018 appropriation request for this line item has been increased.

In response to a question raised by Mr. Adamson, Mr. Sorrel advised that the spending for autopsies is currently $94,455.00 beyond the appropriated figure in that specific line, $96,363.00 in the contractual portion of the budget, $61,000.00 in Personnel; the total being $135,128.00, plus the $35,000.00 in capital which will be reclassified.

Mr. Adamson questioned the reason for the large reduction in spending for autopsies, and Mr. Sorrel advised that the decision was one of many difficult decisions made due to efforts to balance the overall budget; in addition, data provided by the previous Coroner was a factor in where and how the appropriation was reduced.

Mr. Adamson asked for a comparison of the FY2016 and FY2017 budget numbers for the Coroner, and Mr. Sorrel advised that the Coroners FY2016 budget had a total spend of $846,591.00, while the original FY2017 appropriation is $702,340.00.

Mr. Sorrel advised that he, the Chief Financial Officer and the Coroner will meet monthly going forward to provide improved oversight to the Coroner’s budget, and in 2018 will provide a monthly report to this committee as part of the Monthly Financial Report.

The motion carried unanimously.

Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned by Chairman Fennell at 5:36 p.m.

http://www.peoriacounty.org/download?path=%2Fcountyboard%2FCommittee_Agenda_and_Minutes%2F2017%2FNovember%2F28+-+Joint+Budget+and+Executive+Budget+and+Regular%2FJoint+Budget+and+Exec+Agenda+11-28-17.pdf