LaSalle County circuit clerk says $171,980 grant will fund e-citation software rollout for local police

Greg, the LaSalle County circuit clerk, told the Law and Justice Committee that the county received a $171,980 technology grant to fund Quicken e-citation software and related equipment support for local police agencies.

"Every police agency in LaSalle County now can go on this program for a year and a half at no charge to them," Greg said, adding that the county expects the system "to be up and running by May 1." He said the vendor's software costs $45,000 per year and the awarded grant will cover roughly one full year plus an additional half year of service for the county.

The circuit clerk said the county applied for a larger grant and received a portion of the requested funds. A staff member present said the grant application sought $204,000; the clerk said the county received $171,980. The clerk also said an ADA grant application was turned down because available funds were exhausted.

Greg described how the county will help smaller police departments obtain the in-vehicle equipment needed to use the system. He said he is writing a check for "over $15,000" (later referenced as $15,800) to assist Mendota, Grand Ridge and Marseilles with equipment purchases. Under the arrangement the county and three municipalities (Ottawa, LaSalle and Peru) had previously paid for a year of the system; the new grant will shift costs so agencies primarily need to fund hardware in their vehicles.

Greg outlined how ongoing costs would be split after the grant period: the county will continue to pay a single $45,000 annual license, and the fee will be divided among agencies based on the number of vehicles. "It might cost you $600 or $2,000," he said, depending on how many units each agency operates. He also noted smaller municipalities such as Lawson rely on officers who work across jurisdictions and may face equipment shortfalls without county support.

The clerk framed the change as an operational improvement: digital citations will reduce handwritten forms and speed officer processing at traffic stops. "If you get pulled over for speeding, they scan [your license], all the fields fill in. No handwritten stuff," he said, describing the expected reliability and time savings.

No formal committee vote was required for the grant update; the report was presented to the committee during the regular meeting. Greg said several other local agencies — including Earlville and Streeter — have expressed interest in joining the system.

The clerk also reported that the office has brought in about $1,600,000 to the county through various grant programs over time and that the office continues to monitor opportunities through its association, AOIC. The staff member said the office routinely applies for larger amounts than it expects to receive: "we apply for everything including the kitchen sink and see what we get."