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LaSalle County public defender to continue staff stipends from state Safety Act grant
Summary
Public Defender Ryan Hamer told the LaSalle County Board the office received roughly $109,000 from the state Safety Act and will again use the funds to pay technology, a part‑time hire and stipends for staff; the board voted to accept the allocations.
Ryan Hamer, LaSalle County Public Defender, told the county board that his office received roughly $109,000 in Safety Act grant funds in 2023 and has received an approximately similar amount for the current year, and that he intends to continue using the money for technology, a part‑time hire and staff stipends.
Hamer said the first round of Safety Act funding — passed in September 2023 — paid for items “such as computers, office supplies” and supported a part‑time employee “paid solely from grant funds,” which Hamer said did not cost the county. "We gave stipends that began early 2024 last year for members of my office," Hamer said, adding that the stipends are intended to help retain staff given the volume of electronic discovery now common in cases.
The grant also covers administrative reporting requirements. Hamer said the grant money is deposited into a separate account and that the office must report proposed and actual spending to the State of Illinois; a judge signs off on the report and the county auditor tracks the funds. He told the board he reported the proposed spending to the state the prior week and that “Judge Ryan signs off on it and obviously the auditor is the 1 that tracks all that money.”
An unidentified county official recommended a formal motion to accept the public defender’s allocations from the public defender fund, citing the statutory reference voiced at the meeting as “55 ILCS 5 slash 3 dash 4 1,014.” That official said employees who receive stipends sign written acknowledgments that the payments are grant‑funded and may not continue if the grant ends.
LaSalle County Board members then voted on a motion to accept the public defender’s decision to allocate the Safety Act funds. The roll call (Tom, Joe, Tina, Kathy, Mike, James and the presiding member) returned unanimous aye votes.
Hamer said taxes and IMRF and other benefits are withheld from the stipends and that the office will again have staff sign acknowledgments. He told the board he expects to request the same approach in future years but said grant continuation is not guaranteed.
