Probation officials explained to the finance committee on Sept. 30 that the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) issued guidance narrowing what county probation fees can pay for, and that the county had moved several formerly eligible operating lines into the general fund to comply.

Chuck, the county probation representative, said AOIC’s guidance breaks expenditures into categories and requires that 70% of probation-fee spending be used for client services (drug testing, counseling, emergency shelter, substance-abuse and mental-health evaluations, incentives and similar items) and that up to 30% of the total may be used on specified operational costs. "So out of the whatever our total expense is, 70% of that has to be spent on client services," Chuck said.

Because of the change, probation moved five line items previously paid from the probation-fee fund into the county general fund: vehicle maintenance/repair, maintenance software, travel, telephone and dues/subscriptions. Those lines and related education/office-supplies items now appear in the general fund; Chuck said the moved items total roughly $54,000 in the package presented to the committee.

Probation staff told the committee they adjusted budget lines for services anticipated to be needed next year — increasing budget authority in categories such as counseling and offender testing to ensure the department can meet the AOIC formula and to keep the allowable operational share in compliance. Chuck said the year-to-year client service needs (for example, the number of psychological evaluations) can vary significantly and that the 70/30 calculation will change with actual expenditures.

Finance staff confirmed the moved line items will remain in the probation portfolio but will be paid from the general fund, and that probation-fee revenues will be tracked to ensure compliance with the AOIC-prescribed client-service minimum.

No formal vote was taken on the budget shifts; committee members asked staff who will track the 70/30 calculation and were told probation staff will monitor compliance and report as needed.