County Finance Committee Tends to ARPA Funds Issue; Coroner’s Office Needs

As discussions continue on how to spend Vermilion County’s $14 million share of ARPA COVID relief money, the County Board Finance and Personnel Committee has approved a $1.4 million amount, ten percent of the total, that will definitely go to community needs around the county.  County Board Chairman Larry Baughn says they’ll be opening up an application procedure, but meanwhile the requests they’ve already received are significant, so a lot of decisions lie ahead.  Also, there was talk of bringing in the Property Committee to help with figuring out costs where the rest of money will be going: needs that the county itself wants to take care of.  Baughn says, that still involves things right at the County Administration/Joseph G Cannon Building; and much more.

AUDIO: We’ve done some projects with the Health Department already, the courthouse, animal regulations; I mean things are going to be endless for the county.  But we’re going to go back to the Property Committee and really put pen to paper, and see exactly what they want to send to the Finance Committee and get them approved.  Because again, these projects are going to have to be done.

Turning away from COVID money, the Finance Committee has approved a couple budget adjustments for Coroner Jane McFadden’s office.  One was $35,000 for an additional vehicle, as unfortunately the Coroner’s Office is out and about a lot in the county last couple of years; especially with drug overdoses, 28 each in Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022, seven officially so far since this fiscal year began in December.  Then, $40,000 for an additional salaried staff member.  McFadden says, that’s huge, because she and her one deputy coroner have been extremely busy.

AUDIO: As soon as we put out that we are hiring and get applications, basically.  So it wouldn’t be the whole forty because I have to find out about insurance; they would be IMRF retirement eligible, and workman’s comp; and all that stuff comes under that too.

The next full Vermilion County Board meeting is Tuesday April 18^th.