County Board Adopts Budget and Levies for Fiscal Year 2009-2010

After approving Kay Kearney to fill out the unexpired term of George Frazier in District 10, the Shelby County Board approved their 2009-2010 budget.

The proposed budget was passed in the August meeting and adopted in the September meeting. The adopted budget showed $126,206 deficit, which is misleading due to new accounting principles used for the first time this year. The board’s accountant Robin Yockey with the accounting firm of Mose, Yockey, Brown and Kull advised the board to show the county’s employees health insurance deductible as money spent. The employees deductible went up to $2,500 of which the employee pays $500 and the county pays the remaining $2,000. By doing this the county was able to secure much cheaper rates on the insurance. The 80 county employees times the $2,000 is $160,000 and the deficit is $126,206. In years past only about twelve percent of the employees actually used their deductible. By that reasoning the board should have a small surplus by year’s end. However this budget did have its distracters, and passed by a vote of 15-yes and 4-no.

The board also approved all of the county’s levies for fiscal year 2009-2010.

After the budget and levies were passed, County Engineer Alan Spesard introduced State Senator Kyle McCarter and Representative Robert Flider who jointly announced a $450,000 grant for repairs on the Assumption Blacktop (See Shelbyville Daily Union Saturday, September 12).

After that announcement, Spesard gave the board his highway report. Spesard asked the board to approve a joint agreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and the county on the village road project in Tower Hill.

“As you recall that project is a grant from federal stimulus money in the amount of $487,714 and is approved to be let on the November letting,” Spesard told the board.

That agreement was approved.

Spesard asked the approval of a petition from Penn Township to replace a box culvert at a estimated cost of $3,000. This was approved.

Spesard next said another box culvert just around the corner from the other culvert has to be replaced at a cost also of $3,000. This was also approved.

Next Shelby County Health Administrator Stephen Melega gave the board an update on House Bill 170 which provides, beginning January 1, 2013, that no new private surface discharging systems can be installed without a NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit.

“After a public opposition campaign to legislators and the Governor, Governor Pat Quinn did not sign the bill but used his amendatory veto on certain sections of the bill,” Melega told the board. “After the amendatory veto of that bill, the House and Senate must now choose to override or accept the veto as it is.”

The next item of business was a zoning report by Zoning Administrator Dennis Harris. Harris said 18 total permits were issued. They were: 6 for new residents: 9 for accessory buildings and 3 for commercial buildings.

In other business by the board:

*Approved a courthouse clock contract for maintenance.

*Approved 2009-2010 liquor license. That license went to Willow Ridge Vineyard.

*The board recognized the new ESDA (Emergency Services Disaster Agency) Director Christy Pullen.

*Approved a lighting contract with Figgins Electric of Stewardson for $33,888. That contract includes materials and labor to replace lighting in the courthouse and the detention center and materials to replace lighting at the Highway Department. The Highway Department personnel will replace the lighting there.

*Approved several appointments. Those appointments were:

Ann Elbert to the Clarksburg Drainage District.

Kay Kearney to the Regional Superintendent of Education.

Richard Kuhn to the Oconee Drainage District.

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