2023 county budget is on display

The budget will be on display for 15 days at the Massac County Clerk’s office. It will be voted on at the commission’s next meeting.

Commission chairman Jeff Brugger said the $5,230,206 budget has a projected revenue estimate of $5,932,500, showing the county “in the black” by roughly $702,000 for 2023. He noted the biggest change from last year’s budget is with the sheriff’s department due to increases in fuel and food costs.

The commission approved giving the City of Brookport $82,000 from the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase equipment to maintain the floodwall within the city limits of Brookport.

“The problem is the (vegetation and small tree) growth in the floodwall is deteriorating the floodwall,” explained commissioner Jimmy Burnham.

That, in turn, has caused the “Corps of Engineers to basically wash its hands of it because the root system growing inside the floodwall has breached it in several places,” Brugger said. “The City of Brookport reached out to us to know if we would assist them in getting the floodwall under control. As a board, we talked about what the best way to go about that would be. We decided it would be nice to award them an amount of money to buy a piece of equipment so they could take care of the floodwall themselves for years to come, rather than a one-shot arrangement. They can get it corrected by grinding it all out, it’s just going to take time.”

In a formal request letter to the commission, Brookport Mayor Rance Phillips states the funds will be used to purchase a 2021 skid steer, a Kubota stump grinder and a Kubota brush cutter.

The commission approved the computer system and software license sales agreement between Fidlar Technologies and the Massac County Illinois Clerk & Recorder.

At the commission’s last meeting on Jan. 10, County Clerk Hailey Miles informed the commission of the Clerk’s Office inability to record, retrieve or search for records due to a breach to Cott Systems over the holidays. Cott is a public records manager providing computer-based recording, imaging and searching of land and court records. The county is under a five-year contract with Cott, which ends in December.

Almost a month later, Farmer said the Cott system is still not working. Miles met last week with representatives from Fidlar, which provides the same service. Farmer explained that once the office is online with Fidlar, State’s Attorney Josh Stratemeyer will send Cott a letter stating the county should not be held liable for the remainder of the contract because of the breach.

In other business:

• The commission approved resolution for matching funds for State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor.

• Anna Owens with the Treasurer’s Office reported the county’s general fund is $1,715,8139.67.

• Sheriff Chad Kaylor reported the jail count was at maximum capacity Tuesday morning. He said while DOC runs are now going “flawless,” DHS transfers are taking months. He explained the governor recently signed a bill that DHS transfers should take around 90 days. Kaylor said the county’s most recent had been waiting for four months and had to be taken north of Chicago.

• Tiffany George, executive director of Southern Five Regional Planning District & Development Commission, discussed with commissioners what Southern Five has to offer, including loan funds to eligible small businesses, excluding refinancing, and grant administration and assistance.

• And, the commission signed a Massac County Trustee resolution for parcel 08-02-205-010.

The commission’s next regular meeting will be at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7.