Monday, March 8, 2010

Ribbon-cutting for Boone County Housing Authority - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

An open house will immediately follow, until 9 a.m., with complimentary food and beverages.  The Boone County Housing Authority’s new location is 2036 N. State St

Click on the following for more details:  Ribbon-cutting for Boone County Housing Authority - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Notice regarding old newspaper articles

Daily Chronicle OnlineNorthwest Herald - Local news and video for McHenry County, Illinois

Shaw Suburban Media, the publishers of the Northwest Herald (McHenry County) and Daily Chronicle(DeKalb) now have only a short period in which old newspaper articles can be view for free.  For the Chronicle it is seven days.  I will attempt to minimize the posting from these sources but be aware of the short life of some of the posted links.

How long does it take Boone County to Act? An update on Boone County’s actions to their CPA’s suggestions of July 2009.

Back on October 30 I posted the CPA management letter of July 14, 2009 to Boone County.  [http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/10/management-letter-to-boone-county.html] or click on the first two  photocopies. 

There were five suggestions which the CPA firm gave. The following is my assessment of the county actions to respond to these suggestions:

Management Letter 1 Management Letter 2

 

Items 3 and 1.  It was not until December 2, 2009 that the County Administrator began supplying the county board monthly financial reports from the Sheriff and County Clerk. Then only after the written request of one of the board members. Today, only grants from these two departments have been accounted and submitted to the full board.

Items 1 & 2.  Both concern the need for the county to provide the auditor financial statements that reflect the actual records of the county. The auditor’s adjustments to the county’s statements should be minimal, if at all.  After the 2009 audit is completed (hopefully June 1, 2010)  the auditors’ footnotes and comments should determine if the county is doing anything to  supply more complete statements.

Item 4.  I talked to the County Administrator and beginning with the new fiscal year, December 1, 2009, all tort liability expenses will be paid from the tort account directly.

Item 5.  The $1,000,000 Collector’s Account in Savings in January 2009, which the County Treasurer/Collector did not know to whom it belonged?  After talking with the Treasurer/Collector and hearing that it is very difficult to determine whose money this is, I thought it was best to request a formal written reply.  I waited until now, for two reasons:   the new Freedom of Information Act and having the opportunity to ask about the January 2010 Collector’s Accounts.  See my posting which follows .

Mr. Treasurer, whose $1,000,000 is it? The following FOIA request was made to Boone County today.

Click on the photo copy to enlarge:

Newport 1

nEWPORT 2a

Below is the Management letter from the CPA firm which initiated my inquiry into the $1,000,000.   Item # 5 is on the second page.  As before click to enlarge.

To be fair—the Treasurer/Collector did answer orally some of these questions some weeks ago.   He indicated that the amount is  possibly in the $100,000’s but not a $1,000,000 and that the amount maybe related to disputed taxes in previous years.  I made this FOIA request  based upon the size of this account and the question as to if the County, other taxing bodies, or the State actually deserves the money.  I think we all ought to wonder where our elected officials and appointed county managers are.  Why have they not asked questions?

Management Letter 1 Management Letter 2