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Fulton County reappoints library board member, rehiring dispatcher amid budget cuts and department updates
Summary
Commissioners reappointed Mark Smith to the Kewanee Noon Township Public Library board and unanimously approved rehiring Tyler Braley as part‑time dispatcher; staff reported department updates including higher car-accident counts and hazmat equipment arrivals.
Fulton County commissioners on Dec. 15 approved a series of personnel and departmental updates, including the reappointment of Mark Smith to the Kewanee Noon Township Public Library board and the rehiring of part-time dispatcher Tyler Braley.
Charles Rood, director of the Kewanee Noon Township Public Library, asked the commissioners to reappoint Mark Smith and outlined fiscal pressures facing the library. Rood said the library’s 2026 budget request was $216,000 and that the county allotment would be $138,000, representing a roughly 34–37% reduction. He described staffing reductions and reduced hours: “We cut back on Fridays, and we're only open noon to 6 now,” Rood said, noting the library now operates with one full-time employee and three part-time staff.
Britney from dispatch reported the department will start two-week fire dispatch training next month and go live with the new system in February. She asked permission to rehire Tyler Braley, who has returned to the area; a commissioner moved and the board approved rehiring. The board also heard sheriff’s office statistics: November saw a substantial increase in car accidents and an average jail population around 115, with several holds for DHS, U.S. Marshals and other agencies. The EMA representative reported a Woodlawn/EMA food drive that collected over 300 items for six Fulton County food pantries and confirmed arrival of hazmat supplies purchased with year-end funds.
What happens next: library board appointment takes effect immediately; dispatcher rehiring will be processed by human resources; department heads will continue to report training and equipment distribution progress.
