Will County Finance Committee met February 6.

By Lhalie Castillo

Mar 31, 2018

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

I. Call To Order / Roll Call

Chair Mike Fricilone called the meeting to order at 10:05 am

Attendee Name Title Status Arrived

Mike Fricilone Chair Present

Ray Tuminello Vice-Chair Present

Steve Balich Member Present

Darren Bennefield Member Present

Gloria Dollinger Member Present

Kenneth E. Harris Member Present

Cory Singer Member Absent

Lauren Staley-Ferry Member Present

Jacqueline Traynere Member Present

Also Present: J. Moustis, C. Maher and H. Brooks.

Present from State's Attorney's Office: M. Tatroe.

II. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag

Mrs. Staley-Ferry led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

III. Approval Of Minutes

1. WC Finance Committee - Regular Meeting - Jan 2, 2018 10:00 am

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Ray Tuminello, Vice-Chair

Seconder: Darren Bennefield, Member

Ayes: Fricilone, Tuminello, Balich, Bennefield, Dollinger, Harris, Staley-Ferry, Traynere

Absent: Singer

IV. Old Business

V. New Business

1. Appropriating Adult Redeploy Illinois Program Grant Funds in the State's Attorney's Drug Court FY2018 Budget

(Juliet McCabe-Sterr)

Result: Moved Forward [Unanimous]

To: Will County Board

Mover: Ray Tuminello, Vice-Chair

Seconder: Steve Balich, Member

Ayes: Fricilone, Tuminello, Balich, Bennefield, Dollinger, Harris, Staley-Ferry, Traynere

Absent: Singer

2. Transferring and Increasing Appropriations in Various County Budgets to Fund Year End Shortfalls

(ReShawn Howard)

Ms. ReShawn Howard stated this is the first round of routine cleanup transferring funds to line items with a shortfalls within department budgets as we close the FY17 books.

Mr. Fricilone stated when the budgeting process for next year begins, keep in mind some things needing to be moved and hopefully next budget year there will be less end of the year cleanup.

A brief discussion of the handout attached to the agenda took place.

Result: Moved Forward [Unanimous]

To: Will County Board

Mover: Ray Tuminello, Vice-Chair

Seconder: Kenneth E. Harris, Member

Ayes: Fricilone, Tuminello, Balich, Bennefield, Dollinger, Harris, Staley-Ferry, Traynere

Absent: Singer

3. Authorizing County Executive to Execute Necessary Documents for Delinquent Tax Program

(Julie Shetina, Deputy Treasurer)

Result: Moved Forward [Unanimous]

To: Will County Board

Mover: Steve Balich, Member

Seconder: Ray Tuminello, Vice-Chair

Ayes: Fricilone, Tuminello, Balich, Bennefield, Dollinger, Harris, Staley-Ferry, Traynere

Absent: Singer

VI. Other New Business

Mr. Moustis stated at the Executive Committee I brought up budgets under the Executive's Office, specifically Land Use, Solid Waste and CDBG and how those can be used within the Executive's Office. Mr. Palmer was thanked for providing an org chart and it was suggested the County Executive always be at the top of the department org charts, because everything comes from the Executive down. When we budget for the Land Use Department, we budget for personnel, various activities, consultants etc. We do not do it for the CDBG budget and more specifically the solid waste budget. We lump that in that budget, and in my opinion, is occasionally used for other activities, including paying parts of salaries or increases in salaries and I don't think that is the intent of the Board for those budgets to be used in that manor. I am not as concerned about CDBG, because there are federal guidelines. We brought the issues up with solid waste budget during budget time. We had concerns, should we continually roll funds back in? When we do that, it take away the authority or intent of the County Board when it comes to appropriations. A primary functions is we appropriate money to everyone and we have an intent on how the money is to be used within their budget. They were once run as separate departments. They do interact and have synergy between departments. I have concerns about commingling budgets within those departments. It should be a discussion and we need a better understanding of our authority once we put those budgets over there. I do know there are some restrictions on both and the federal dollars are spelled out.

Mrs. Tatroe stated there are statutory limitations on the solid waste.

Mr. Moustis continued was the intent for Mr. Paddock to be paid out of solid waste if it increased his salary. I don't think that was the Board’s intent, but part of Mr. Paddock's salary did come from solid waste. I am not criticizing it, it is more of transparency on how those funds are being used and was our intent that the funds be used in that manner. Do we need to define it better? Do we need additional restrictions on those funds and how they are used, without County Board approval?

Mr. Palmer stated Mr. Moustis brought up these concerns last week. We provided an org chart and are planning a presentation on the organizational structure. As part of the presentation, we can discuss the allocation of those dollars. It is clearly in the org chart how those funds are used. In the current org chart there were three positions; Director, Deputy Director and CFO position and staff who do the CDBG work. That is part of the annual presentation to the Executive before he prepares his budget which comes to the Board as part of the presentation. During that process is officially where the Board signs off and whether there are changes during the year, limited by what we can do with the appropriations the Board has granted. I don't think anything mischievous is done here. Over the last few of years, we have streamlining the management team. Some of the cost centering is done, instead of having an administrator for CDBG separate, there is a Director of the Division who reports to the Department Director, I think this is partially cost centering, there is a cost to having an administrative team over the entire department. There is lots of synergy on certain issues and that is why we group it all together. It was a standalone department and a separate budget allocation as a division of Land Use. Whether there is a change in next years' budget is your prerogative. In the org chart you can see a percentage of the Director's budget is allocated among the different funding sources because he supervises the entire department and it is a way to better manage the money. We continue to reduce staff, we have increased salaries because we have increased the responsibility and to be competitive. We have become more efficient in terms of the permits we have reviewed and issued.

Mr. Moustis stated it is important for the Board Members to have a better understanding of the appropriation and how it is being used. It is not a criticism that people were paid from different pots of money, but that we have a clear understanding as a Board how the appropriations are being used within the budget. It is more of education.

Mrs. Traynere stated it sounds like what we do at the DOT. Some of the money comes from the feds, the County and the state because he is involved with multiple projects. It seems to me, with the org chart and discussion that we are talking about something similar.

Mr. Fricilone stated Mr. Ronaldson is different, because the state pays half his salary.

Mr. Moustis stated it is very clear in the budget and the appropriations, we know where his salary is coming from. I would like to have a better understanding on how appropriations can be used and how they are being used.

Mr. Palmer added a better analogy are special funds. In years past, we have shifted staff from corporate dollars to automation fund dollars. As an example, in GIS there is a fee that pays for the services administered by GIS. A few years back we moved staff in the SOA's budget. That gave relief to corporate funds to be used on other things. Everyone agreed that was the intent of the special funds.

Mr. Moustis stated that is a good point; that was what the funds were intended to be used for. I want to make sure the funds are being used as the Board intended in the appropriation.

Mr. Palmer stated in addition to the County Board, which is the final stop, there is a CDBG advisory board, with Executive, County Board Leadership and others are a part of, there are presentations, groups come in and present their proposals and that Board makes a recommendation to this Board; there are multiple layers of approval and review. We are driven by the feds, who will come in and tell you if you are doing something wrong.

Mr. Moustis stated the CDBG does projects, but they don't necessarily get involved in the administrative costs.

Mr. Palmer stated you have to have an administrative team to do the paperwork and file the reports.

VII. Public Comment

VIII. Chairman's Report / Announcements

IX. Executive Session

X. Adjournment

1. Motion to Adjourn at 10:21 am

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Steve Balich, Member

Seconder: Jacqueline Traynere, Member

Ayes: Fricilone, Tuminello, Balich, Bennefield, Dollinger, Harris, Staley-Ferry, Traynere

Absent: Singer