West Central Reporter

McDonough County's' 21-member Board approve a $19.9 million budget for next year, including more than $5.4 million for the general fund, The McDonough County Voice reported.

The 74-page budget also includes more than $1.1 million for county's highways, approximately $1.3 million in liability insurance, a little over $3 million for self insurance and more than $1.7 million for its municipal retirement fund. Total appropriations for the county's fiscal year runs from Dec. 1 to Nov. 30, 2021.

The county budget for the fiscal year is expected to end in a deficit of $956,043, but with $152,016 in cash on hand.

| Stock Photo

Part of the debate over the budget during the board's Nov. 18 included whether to delete a $42,000 vehicle purchase for McDonough County coroner Eric Jameson, according to the McDonough County Voice's news report the following day. 

That amendment to the budget passed by a vote of 11 to 10, with the lone vote against cast by Board Member Joe Erlandson (R - District 2). District two includes Blandinsville, Bushnell, Hire, Macomb, Mound, New Salem, Prairie City, Sciota and Walnut Grove townships.

"This discussion is coming too late in the budget process," said Erlandson said in the news report.

The board also approved an amended budget for the county's health department, reaching $337,510, by changing the annual 4% raise for employees to 2%, which is expected to match how much other county employees receive in raises each year, according to the news report.

District Three Board member, Marcia Twaddle, who also is a McDonough County Board of Health board member, said during the county board meeting she has tried to keep the pay raise level for the county's health workers to 2% but that she'd been outvoted health board members, according to the news report.

Twaddle also recognized health department staff for contact tracing efforts in the ongoing pandemic and said others need to recognize good work that staff members are doing, according to the news report.

District Three includes Bethel, Chalmers, Colchester, Eldorado, Industry, Lamoine, Scotland and Tennessee townships.