Committee of the Whole Meeting - Finance
Sep 10, 2026
The lede
- County Board approved farmland lease renewal with current tenant Aaron Bronstead at increased rate after competitive RFP process
- Major capital requests presented: Sheriff’s office seeking 5 new squad cars ($383K), jail window replacement ($150K phase 1 of 4), and additional correctional officer; Assessor requesting $30K True Roll exemption verification software
- Tollway bridge agreement discussion: County negotiating improved Irene Road bridge maintenance agreement with reduced local cost ($90K county share vs. previous $1M+)
- Budget presentations completed for Treasurer, Assessor, County Clerk, and Sheriff departments showing general cost increases and staffing needs
- Jail medical staffing increase requested: Part-time nurse position expansion from 4 to 20 hours weekly to reduce emergency room visits and improve inmate care
Attendance & housekeeping
Present: Carl Johnson, Josh Shoemaker, Brian Schneider, David Wilty, Ryan Curry, Lisa Patterson, Tom Wahberg, Rodney Riley, Matt Reggano, Barry Thornberry, Mr. Lockton (remote)
Absent: David Cordre
Motion approved to allow Mr. Lockton to participate remotely. August 10, 2025 meeting minutes approved. Agenda approved as presented.
Decisions & votes (each with vote count and notable discussion or dissent)
Motion to approve Ordinance 26-34 (Planning Fee Schedule amendments): Approved unanimously for county board referral. Updates zoning categories to match newly adopted Unified Development Ordinance; no actual fee amount changes.
Motion to approve farmland lease with Aaron Bronstead: Approved unanimously for county board referral. Four bids received; Bronstead (current tenant for 6 years) submitted highest bid and has good payment/farming history on approximately 60 county-owned acres near fairgrounds.
No other votes taken; remaining items were discussions or budget presentations.
Discussion items (no vote)
Resolution 26-28 (Surplus Equity Fund): Tabled until next month for additional clarification on revenues and expenditures from State’s Attorney.
Tollway/Irene Road Bridge IGA: Discussion of improved intergovernmental agreement between County, City of Belvidere, and Flora Township regarding bridge maintenance. New agreement reduces County/City responsibility and cost significantly (from over $1M to $180K total, split 50/50). County would serve as lead agency collecting City’s share. Staff-level support confirmed; agreement expected at next county board meeting. Payment schedule flexible over 2 years given different fiscal cycles.
Budget Presentations:
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Treasurer (Newport): Status quo budget; largest expenses are statutory mailings for tax bills and delinquency notices. Exploring different mailing vendors to reduce costs. Treasurer Automation Fund showing planned deficit but adequate fund balance. Postage and publishing costs remain significant line items.
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Supervisor of Assessments (Mjner): Requesting True Roll software ($30K annually) to verify exemption eligibility through automated data cross-referencing. Software has proven effective in other counties (Lake County recovered millions; Massac County $250K in first year). Major expense is $20K annual publication of assessment change notices; implementing electronic notification option to reduce future costs. School district declined cost-sharing despite being largest beneficiary. Board requested data from McHenry County (adopted software last year) before decision.
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County Clerk (Olsen): Capital request for cost study ($6K vs. $33K alternative quote) required by statute before fee increases. Deputy clerk position transferring to Administration budget. Consolidated election year reduces budget significantly. Major digitization project requested ($148K from Recorder Automation Fund) for pre-2009 death records and pre-1970 marriage records—currently a 25-35 step manual process vs. simple digital retrieval. Land records already complete back to 1838.
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Sheriff (Yon): Multiple departmental budgets presented:
- EMA: Status quo, no changes requested
- McKinley Maintenance: Property maintenance reduced from $18.5K to $13.5K (training center insulation project)
- Public Safety Building: Maintenance supplies increase due to added office space; requesting $35K for iron pipe replacement (two leaks cost nearly $10K this year); 50/50 cost share with City of Belvidere
- County Buildings: Increases across multiple line items due to 15,000 sq ft courthouse addition and 16-17 additional employees; $2,500 training budget for maintenance staff
- Sheriff Patrol: Vehicle maintenance increase to $125K (from $100K); community policing increase to $7,500 (from $2,500) due to expanded employee involvement
Sheriff Capital Requests:
- Flat cameras ($20.5K, offset by $14.8K retail theft grant)
- Five squad cars ($382,744) to replace high-mileage vehicles
- Five AEDs ($2K each) for squad cars and McKinley facility
- AR rifle replacement (25 rifles, $37.5K total or phased over 3 years)
- Command staff pay structure (15% above sergeant for lieutenants; 10% above lieutenant for chief deputy)
Corrections Budget:
- Overtime increased to $275K due to staffing challenges and experienced (higher-paid) officers
- Food budget increase to $280K (from $225K) reflecting average daily population increase from ~65 to 92 inmates; meals cost $2.75 each under Aramark contract through March
- Multiple capital requests: jail windows phase 1 ($150K of estimated $500K total for 4 phases); HVAC controllers ($43K); intercom replacement; carpet replacement ($30K); live scan fingerprint machine replacement ($40K—current unit failed after 5 years)
- New initiatives: Additional correctional officer (second of two requested last year); part-time nurse expansion from 4 to 20 hours weekly ($42K) to reduce emergency room visits and support full-time nurse
Public comment
David Wilty spoke wearing a red “Freedom” hat commemorating the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination (September 10, 2025). Wilty reflected on political violence and assassination, comparing Kirk to JFK, MLK, and RFK. He noted Kirk wanted to be remembered as a Christian. Wilty lamented that violent rhetoric has not decreased since the assassination.
Notable moments (anything colorful, tense, or unusual)
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Treasurer Newport joked he “didn’t see the need to put on a suit and tie tonight” due to modest budget requests, contrasting with Sheriff Yon who wore a tie and quipped “Just for Dave”
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County Clerk Olsen encouraged board members to opt into electronic assessment notices when they receive them: “You’ll be the first one on the block to know how bad it got”
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Board members questioned why school districts (which receive 2/3 of property tax revenue) won’t help fund the $30K True Roll software that would benefit them; Assessor Mjner noted most counties haven’t secured such cost-sharing arrangements
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Corrections live scan fingerprint machine failed during budget preparation; temporary arrangement made with Belvidere PD requiring transport of arrestees across building, described as security challenge. Machine repaired for ~$5K but expected to fail again soon (5-year lifespan)
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Discussion of jail food costs revealed significant impact of Safety Act: arrestees who previously could bond out immediately now must stay through weekend, adding 8+ meals per person at county expense
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Multiple discussions about aging infrastructure (1972-1974 jail windows, 26-year-old HVAC controllers, iron pipes causing $10K in leak damage)
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Sheriff noted optimism about window replacement costs coming in lower than 2-year-old estimate; board member joked about finding “buy two get one free” window specials
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Chairman Johnson noted upcoming budget challenges due to bond payments starting next year after significant construction spending