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Tazewell County board recognizes clerk staff, approves tandem-truck purchases and discusses national card-fee settlement
Summary
The board acknowledged county clerk staff awards, approved purchases of tandem trucks after supply-chain discussion, and received a briefing on a potential opt-in to a nationwide Mastercard/Visa settlement with an application deadline next Tuesday.
County board members recognized county clerk staff for two awards from the vendor Fiddler: one for the most enrollees in the state veterans rewards program and another for the most new registrants in a property-fraud alert program. A county official said those efforts are important after the county recorded its first local property-fraud incident.
On fleet replacement, board members discussed the purchase of tandem trucks. Board members and staff said supply-chain delays following the COVID-19 pandemic produced a backlog of ordered trucks; some models and engines are no longer produced, reducing trade-in values. Staff said two tandem trucks were on the agenda but noted a third truck had been budgeted and might still be purchased depending on delivery timing. The board approved the purchase by voice vote; the transcript records ‘‘all those in favor, signify by aye’’ but does not provide a roll-call tally in the provided excerpts.
The board also heard a briefing about a potential participation in a nationwide Mastercard and Visa settlement related to alleged antitrust violations. A staff member said the settlement is valued at about $5,540,000,000 and that the county, which collects certain credit-card fees, can join the case but must apply by next Tuesday. The staff member said any county recovery would depend on participation and how the settlement is allocated; they estimated potential county proceeds could range from five to six figures but said no firm estimate was available in the discussion.
Finally, staff briefed members that an executive-order-related hold on grant activity had been retracted; staff said the county has ‘‘a little over $4,000,000’’ in federal grants across departments, most of which is in the health department. The staff said they would distribute additional details on federal and state grant amounts to board members.
The provided transcript segments show the clerk recognition, the truck purchase discussion and voice approval, and a staff briefing on the settlement and grants. The transcript does not show further formal actions on the settlement or a detailed grant accounting within the provided excerpts.
