Finance chair says county clerk did not follow budget submission rules; litigation ongoing

Finance Committee Chair Conroy said Aug. 26 that County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek did not submit a fiscal year 2026 budget in the county's required format and that no representative from the clerk's office attended the committee to present the office budget. The chair said the clerk’s package was delivered to the county board office rather than uploaded into the county’s OpenGov budget system, and that the submission lacked account numbers, supporting documentation, and revenue or expense detail. "The submission was a combination of the clerk's general fund budgets with 3 tabs only entitled equipment, materials, and services which does not comply with the county's code," Conroy said, noting that the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court had confirmed related findings the day before. Why it matters: The committee allocates county funds and expects elected offices to submit detailed budget requests so members can review assumptions, revenue and expense projections and potential procurement needs. Committee members flagged that the clerk's missing or incomplete submission imposes additional work on county finance staff and outside counsel. County response and litigation: Committee members acknowledged a recent court ruling in the county’s favor related to the dispute with the clerk but said additional legal work is continuing. Vice Chair Cahill and others thanked the state's attorney’s office and finance staff for work on the case and noted that the county had recorded roughly $112,000 in legal fees through June 30 tied to the matter; additional fees for July, August and continuing proceedings were not yet known. A committee member noted the case remains active, including a procurement-related counterclaim scheduled to proceed in October. Board members described several operational impacts. Finance staff said they are working with the chair and vice chair to develop an appropriate budget for the clerk’s accounting units because the clerk’s submission did not provide the information the committee needs to set the county budget. Chair Conroy said she had invited Clerk Kaczmarek or a representative to present and that the clerk had declined to attend. Several members framed the issue as stewardship of taxpayer funds. Member Zay said the matter was not partisan and called it "an issue about taxpayers money and making sure procedures are followed." Other members said the missing submission and litigation have consumed staff time and taxpayer dollars and urged the clerk's office to follow established procedures going forward. Next steps: Committee members said finance staff will continue to work with the chair and vice chair to incorporate the clerk’s needs into the county budget package. The committee also expects further legal bills while remaining engaged in the pending litigation. The committee did not take an action to withhold funds for the clerk’s office; instead, members described internal steps to reconstruct a usable budget from the materials submitted and to report additional legal costs as they accrue.