The Iroquois County Finance Committee on Sept. 3 discussed the county's tentative FY26 budget, including a $222,000 joint dispatch request that exceeds the $132,030 currently budgeted and debate over whether public safety tax revenue should be used to pay dispatch salaries.

Why it matters: The committee's decisions will shape the county's spending plans for the coming year and determine whether joint dispatch staffing costs become a recurring county expense.

Committee members and staff spent the meeting reviewing department requests and revenue projections. The joint dispatch director, Eric Raymond, submitted a proposal that would raise the county's contribution to $222,000, to be split among the county, SECA and an ETS fee; the committee currently has $132,030 budgeted for that purpose. "He has that as a 3 way split between what SECA, Iroquois County, and ETS fee," a finance staff member said during discussion.

Several members raised objections to using the public safety tax for salaries. "When we sold the public safety tax to the public 3 different times, we said it would not be used for salaries," said Donna, a committee member, adding that the tax was intended for equipment and safety-related purchases. She said relying on the tax for salaries sets "an ever evolving, upward spiral." The comment reflects a repeated point of contention in the discussion over how to fund joint dispatch and whether to supplement the general fund.

The committee also reviewed proposed percentage increases for nonunion employees. Members debated whether to adopt a uniform cost-of-living increase or preserve differential percentages tied to performance; multiple speakers suggested establishing a formal evaluation process and a pay scale for future budgets so raises can be allocated more predictably. "A performance evaluation should be the underlying premise of any adjustments that are made on a manual basis," a county official said during the discussion.

Budget projections cited other specifics: the finance director reported raising sales-tax and supplemental revenue estimates by roughly $250,000 based on year-to-date receipts; the committee discussed transferring between funds and investing portions of the public safety tax balance in CDs to build reserve cushions.

No final vote on the FY26 budget was taken. The committee asked staff to refine numbers, incorporate pending items (health insurance renewals, final ETSB/dispatch figures and contract negotiations) and present a budget on display at the next meeting. A finance staffer said she would "work with Jill in the coming months to try and figure something out to bring here for next month," and the committee directed staff to prepare the materials for the committee's display and subsequent public review.

The committee identified remaining open issues: the final health insurance renewal rate, ETSB/dispatch cost-sharing confirmations, contract negotiation estimates for wages, and possible transfers to the capital improvement fund to begin paying down the SmartLot loan next year.

The committee asked department heads to prepare position descriptions and responsibilities to support future development of a formal pay scale and evaluation process.

Looking ahead: The committee plans to put the FY26 budget on display next month after staff incorporate the outstanding items and suggested adjustments.