The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors voted to have the county Conservation Department pay late fees tied to a drainage assessment, after supervisors debated whether the fee should be paid by the conservation department, the individual employee, or abated.

Supervisors said the decision was driven by concerns about precedent and budget authority. Supervisor Derby moved the motion and a second was made; the board approved the payment. Board members discussed whether the conservation board should first approve the expenditure before the payment is sent.

Why it matters: Supervisors said they wanted to avoid setting a standing precedent for abating penalties except in unusual circumstances and noted that late fees are not a public purpose in the same way as routine program expenditures. The decision assigns the immediate cost to the conservation department’s budget while leaving open the expectation that the conservation board will formally approve the expenditure.

Board discussion and context: Supervisors raised three options during discussion: have the employee pay out of pocket; have the conservation department pay; or have someone named Julie abate the fee. Supervisors and staff reported there was not a previous, clear instance of Julie abating this kind of late fee. One supervisor summarized past practices, saying the county has abated taxes in limited special circumstances before and that penalties sometimes were included in those abatements.

Several supervisors emphasized that fees for late payment are not a public-purpose charge and that the conservation department’s accounting would reflect the write-off. One supervisor asked whether the conservation board had discussed the matter; the meeting record shows board members urged the conservation board to deliberate and sign off on the expenditure before it is submitted for payment.

Procedural outcome: Motion by Derby, seconded by (transcript: Jen Schold), to have the conservation department pay the drainage-assessment late fees. The motion passed. The precise dollar amount of the late fees was not specified during the discussion and is recorded here as not specified.

What the vote does not do: The board did not make a finding that the individual should always be absolved of such fees in the future. Supervisors also discussed that repeated mistakes might be handled differently and said the conservation board should consider internal procedures to avoid recurrence.

Looking ahead: Supervisors asked that the conservation department make sure its board formally approves the payment and discussed methods (email or an expedited meeting) to resolve the matter quickly so additional monthly penalties are not incurred.