2011 Boone County Budget Passes by Narrow Margin

The following is from the Boone County Journal November 19, 2009, page 1.  It is available free of cost at many merchants around the greater Boone County Community and online at: http://boonecountyjournal.com/news/2010/Boone-County-News-11-19-10.pdf#page=1

Below the newspaper article are Mr. Mattison’s comments to the board as well as the reference he uses for budget numbers.

 

2011 Budget Passes by Narrow Margin
By Rebecca Osterberg

With six county representatives in favor and five opposed,
Boone County Board members narrowly approved the
Fiscal Year 2011 budget; county representative Paul Larson
(District 2) was absent.

The County Board Finance Committee chairman, Karl
Johnson (District 2), thanked department heads, board
and committee members for their efforts. “I think it’s a
compromise that will allow the county to move forward
with its work,” said Johnson.

But, county representative Pat Mattison (District 3), who
voted against the measure, held a different opinion and read
a letter into the record stating his many objections. [The full text of Mr. Mattison’s speech is shown below]“I am opposed to the Boone County FY2011 budget,”
Mattison said. “No matter how it is stated, it is not balanced
and has not been balanced for several years.”
His statement continued. “Like it or not, Boone County
has had a gap between revenue and spending and the
Boone County administrator and board are not addressing
that problem. The State of Illinois is four months or better
behind on their funding to Boone County agencies including
the County. The State, which is virtually bankrupt, is going
to cut their support to Boone County (and other counties)
and cut their deficit ($15 billion) on the backs of local
governments. On page two of the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget
it reports an ending balance in the “Stabilization Rainy Day
Fund” of $2,439,270.* The balance was: $4,104,497 in 2007,
$3,918,978 in 2008, $2,910,958 in 2009 [and] $2,439,270
in 2010; a loss of $1,655,227--that is an ominous erosion
of Boone County general funds, and will get worse. On
page 34 it reports “Total General Fund Transfers” out of:
$12,929,687 for FY 2010 and $13,302,149 for FY 2011.
That is an increase in transfers out of $372,462 more than
FY 2010 estimates!”

County Board Chairman Bob Walberg (District 1) noted
that a large amount of money recently drawn from the
county’s “Rainy Day Fund” was used to pay for property
destined to be the home of the new county administrative
campus. “Where we are all sitting right now?” Walberg
asked.

At the end of Mattison’s comments, other county board
members expressed a variety of viewpoints regarding
Mattison statement and the budget in general.
“At the last board meeting you were good enough to
make the comment that we are spending in excess of what
we’re spending in our 2010 budget; to the tune of about
300,000,” said county representative Marshall Newhouse
(District 1). “To my recollection, it was a board decision to
pay off the bond payments. We thought we could pay off
the amount to reduce the debt. I think it was an appropriate
thing to do. To say we are overspending now because of
that I think is a misrepresentation.”

Mattison’s concerns were echoed by county
representative Cathy Ward (District 2). “This isn’t perfect,
and I agree with a number of the things that Mr. Mattison
said. Who would have thought three years ago that we’d
be here? I fully expect that we’ll have to make even harder
decisions. Some [board members] suggested a committee of-
the-whole at least of some committees. I think at the
very least, we could have the full board come to all of the
finance hearings. I think Ken has done a tremendous job of
trying to predict. I don’t know if any of us could have done
any better.”

Mattison added that the county should understand whether
or not county residents would prefer cuts in services. “I
can be wrong, but for the seniors who have had their Social
Security income lowered, the 15 percent unemployed, the
business that have been closed, the builders and realtors that
have been cut to the bone...the Boone County Budget for
Fiscal Year 2011 has too many areas that should explored
and cut,” said Mattison.

County representatives Kenny Freeman (District 3),
Terri Glass (District 3), Kathy Hartwig (District 1), Peggy
Malone (District 3), and Mattison opposed passage of the
budget ordinance.

In related business, county officials voted to allow
eligible employees, those with 25 years of service or more,
to complete a per-application for early retirement. The
move could enable the county to estimate savings to the
general ledger by retiring those employees compared to
their retention. The pre-application neither obligates the
county to offer early retirement, nor does it require those
who fill it out to take the offer.

According to county Administrator Ken Terrinoni the
measure acts as a gauge to determine the cost, if the county
proceeds to offer it.

 

*Mr. Mattison’s full comments to the Board and his references in the budget.

  Mr. Mattison’s uses the term “stabilization rainy day fund’ of $2,439,270 to refer to the positive fund balance carried over from prior years. That is the “Beginning Balance” of $2,439,270 for FY 2011 on the top of Page 2 of the budget.  See the block at the bottom of page 2 for the term stabilization rainy day fund.

 

Click on the photocopies to enlarge: 

 

Page 2, 2011 Budget

Page 34, 2011 Budget