County health staff warn Iroquois County is on IDPH stop-payment list, risking about $79,000 in grant reimbursements
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Summary
The county’s public-health representative told the committee the county has been placed on an Illinois Department of Public Health stop-payment list for missing FY24/25 audits, which could block state reimbursements and new grant applications unless audits are submitted by the April 30 deadline.
Robin, the county public-health representative, told the committee that the health department and the county are on an Illinois Department of Public Health stop-payment list because fiscal-year 2024 and 2025 audits have not been submitted. "When we did that yesterday, we were unable to do so because we are on the stop payment list due to the county not submitting fiscal year 24 and 25 audits," she said.
She warned the board that if the county cannot bill third-quarter grants before the April 30 deadline it could lose more than $79,000 in reimbursements and would be barred from applying for new state grants while on the list. "If we cannot submit our grants for third quarter, we will lose over $79,000, and we cannot do that until we are in compliance," Robin said.
Robin said she has contacted IDPH, given auditors remote access to the county’s accounting software, and is drafting a formal response letter with contact information for Sandy Perry. She said the department is preparing a written action plan to explain why the audits are not yet complete and to ask IDPH for guidance on outstanding questions.
Board members stressed urgency and assigned staff to prioritize finalizing the audit materials and to route any incoming state correspondence immediately to the appropriate county offices. "We need to know what direction we're going to get this resolved as fast as possible," the chair said.
Why it matters: state stop-payment status can halt reimbursements for already incurred expenses and block access to future grant opportunities, creating immediate budget pressure for county services that rely on state funding. The committee asked the health department to submit the letter and follow up with IDPH and to report back to the full board.
Next steps: Robin said she has a meeting scheduled to finalize the response letter and will continue to coordinate with the county’s auditors and with IDPH; the board directed staff to treat the audits and any state correspondence as a top priority.
