Category: Adams County Board

Adams County adding more information to website

Posted by mhopf – January 8, 2013

Adams County is already working to improve its website after Illinois government watchdog group the Illinois Policy Institute said it was lacking information.

Information Technology Director John Frankenhoff said he has since redesigned the page with budget information and also has included an email address for County Board Chairman Les Post, R-6.

In its review, the organization gave the county a score of 43.975 out of 100. The complete rubric is available at the group’s website.

Frankenhoff has been in contact with the group about updating the city’s website. Other items being worked on are annual audits, union contracts and older annual financial reports.

Seven say goodbye to the Adams County Board

Posted by mhopf – November 14, 2012

Seven members of the Adams County Board received a send off Tuesday at their last regular County Board meeting. Seven new members will be sworn in during a County Board organization meeting Dec. 3.

Each outgoing member received a plaque honoring them for their service.

County Board members Steve Schutte, D-2, and Joe Holtschlag, D-2, lost re-election bids last week, while County Board member Kevin Rankin, R-3, lost his bid for re-election in the March primary.

County Board member Joe Wand, R-4, who did not seek re-election, has been on the board since 2010, and County Board member Nick Peter, D-1, who joined the board in 2009 also did not seek re-election. County Board members John Johnson, R-4, and Bob Scott, R-7, have 20 years of service on the board.  Both did not seek re-election.

“Twenty years kind of flew by fast,” Johnson said. “I guess I didn’t know I was going to be here this long, but here I am.”

Chairman Mike McLaughlin, R-4, also oversaw his last meeting as chairman — a position he has held for 16 years.

“I look forward to taking a backseat,” he said. “I’ve certainly enjoyed it. I thank everyone for the opportunity you have given me. We haven’t always agreed … but that’s what we’re here for is to solve problems and come up with the right solutions for the betterment of Adams County.”

A new chairman will be selected during the County Board’s reorganization meeting.

Declaration of Independence read at Adams County Board

Posted by mhopf – June 13, 2012

Adams County Board members heard a reading of the Declaration of Independence Tuesday, which may be considered odd by some at a government meeting.  County Board member John Brady, R-6, made the request at last month and with the board’s blessing, he read it at the end of the meeting.

It’s not too often you hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud except for the Fourth of July. It reminded me of a fantastic scene from HBO miniseries “John Adams” when it is read for the first time in public. If you get a chance, check it out.

 

County department budgets full of increases, decreases

Posted by mhopf – November 13, 2011

The Adams County Finance Committee has spent weeks working in the county’s budget, which saw a deficit of $900,000 in October.  The deficit is currently around $300,000.

Many of the members credited department heads and office holders for holding the line when it came to crafting the $13.198 million budget. The county’s general fund budget is up 1.4 percent from last year.

Many of the 29 categories within the budget saw dips. The biggest gain dollar-wise comes from the county general administration, which includes medical insurance payments that are increasing 21 percent from this year’s budget. There also is a large jump in capital expenditures, since the county had one small capital project this year of $7,683.

Here are the parts of the general fund budget.

  • County General Administration $2,837,155 – 7.4 percent increase
  • County General Capital Expenditures $94,000 – 1,120 percent increase
  • Emergency Management $67,358 – 0.8 percent decrease
  • Maintenance Department $336,142 – 4.2 percent decrease
  • County Sheriff – Merit Commission $7,804 – 19.9 percent decrease
  • Rabies and Animal Control $79,352 – 6.2 percent decrease
  • Supervisor of Assessments $179,950 – 11.5 percent decrease
  • Board of Review $21,895 – 0.95 percent decrease
  • 911 Center $456,000 – 6 percent decrease
  • County Treasurer $211,807 – 0.3 percent decrease
  • Computer and Technology and Telephone $159,567 – 5.5 percent decrease
  • County Clerk $347,220 – 0.2 percent increase
  • County Clerk – Elections $199,600 – 3.3 percent increase
  • County Clerk – Recorder $298,649 – 1.3 percent increase
  • County Sheriff- SAFE Program $69,464 – 22.8 percent decrease
  • Regional Superintendent of Schools $153,088 – 6 percent increase
  • County Sheriff – Courts and Legal $278,722 – 1.6 percent decrease
  • County Sheriff – Law Enforcement $1,887,382 – 1.2 percent decrease
  • Jail $1,292,665 – 0.4 percent decrease
  • Coroner $126,928 – 1.3 percent increase
  • State’s Attorney $845,678 – 2.3 percent increase
  • Circuit Clerk $602,061 – 0.9 percent increase
  • Chief Judge $1,392 – no change
  • Circuit Judges $31,000 – 8.4 percent decrease
  • Associate Judges $18,236 – 12.2 percent decrease
  • Public Defenders $454,225 – 0.4 percent decrease
  • Jury Commission $71,765 – 3.8 percent decrease
  • Probation Department $914,197 – 1.8 percent increase
  • Detention Center $1,154,917 – 0.7 percent decrease

Precinct maps for Adams County, Quincy

Posted by mhopf – August 10, 2011

Here are the precinct maps that were approved by the Adams County Board Tuesday night. None of the precinct boundaries cross Quincy ward or Adams County Board district lines.

Adams County Board district maps are available here.

Quincy ward maps are available here.

Precincts in the Quincy

Quincy Precincts

 

Adams County Precincts.