Look Very Closely at what was not done: Boone County employees asked to take four voluntary unpaid days

The most important item in this recent newspaper article is what the Rockford Register Star failed to tell you.  The reporter stated the following:

“The board made no formal motion on the new spending deal [revised budget] today, but Johnson said the plan goes into effect May 1.”

What the paper failed to tell you was why no action was taken.  The motion (shown below under the Finance Committee) was never voted upon because many board members were informed for the first time that to revise the budget, requires a properly convened public hearing with the proposed major revisions available for public review before the meeting.  This information came from the States Attorney, but one wonders if others should have been aware of the issue? CORRECTION 4-18-2009:  Apparently the county board was informed of the legal requirements by the States Attorney in the March 2009 board meeting—so the revision of the “budget” should have never formulated as a motion (from what I can understand). (Perhaps I should check out the minutes and see if I can get that legal opinion.)The question concerning what “real reductions” are occurring,  still persists. 

So what is it that the department heads and the county board agreed upon?  More importantly, is the Board going to really revise this massively out of balance budget? Perhaps this was the reason that the April motions  for the county board were not published on the county’s website as Chairman Walberg promised some months ago?  Well now the motions are available if you click on the meeting date and not the motions box, I am sure this also was  “my problem”.

So what is going on with the “budget”--revenue/expenditure plan?  Is anything really being done to balance the budget?

Beginning in June the board and department heads will begin planning for the fiscal 2010 budget.  The revised revenue should show dramatically lowered revenue from sales taxes and state income taxes.  Many one time items transfers and reductions from the 2009 updated numbers will not exist.  (see

 

To read the Register Star’s story, click on the following:  Boone County employees asked to take four voluntary unpaid days - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star