Commissioners Jayson Farmer, Billy Hillebrand and Jerel Childers hold a copy of the $50,000 check the county received in order to create a handicapped accessible bathroom and construct a handicapped accessible wheelchair ramp, which would be built to the right of where the commissioners stand.
— Planet photo by Michele Longworth
That check, sent from the state, is in the amount of $50,000 and is grant money Commissioner Jerel Childers had applied for one or two years ago.
Childers explained the money would be used strictly for courthouse renovations, which will specifically include the installation of a wheelchair ramp, which would be located at the east entrance, in the northeast corner. He went on to say the money would also be used to construct a handicapped accessible bathroom, which would be located in the basement of the courthouse.
According to Childers, there have been complaints that it is difficult for people in wheelchairs to use the current bathrooms. He told board members Jayson Farmer and Commission Chair Billy Hillebrand the grant money would have to be spent within a year.
When Massac County Treasurer Floyd Sullivan met with the commissioners, the board inquired if he would be able to reactivate the former courthouse maintenance account. Sullivan said he would check into that issue and would either reactivate the former account or open a new one, to deposit the money into, so that it is kept separate from the county's general fund. He also noted the account would have to be a non-interest bearing account.
Sullivan brought in the total for the general fund, which stands at $193,648 this week. Sullivan said his office had received $63,000 of income tax money from the state Monday. That money, in addition to local fee money that his office received, helped to boost the county's balance. Sullivan also told the board last week the mobile home and real estate tax sales were held.
Massac County Clerk John Taylor told the board the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) is stressing his office needs to do a voter registration purge. Taylor explained he is in the process of printing out voter registration cards for all of Massac County's registered voters.
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