County Board Approves Salaries for Those to be Elected in November

The Effingham County Board approved salaries for those county officials to be elected in November.

State law requires salaries for the next term to be set before the term begins.  Affected are the offices of county sheriff, county clerk, county treasurer, and supervisor of assessments.  The salary of the county sheriff will be $68,077 at the start of the term and will increase $1,200 in each of the following three years.  The salaries of the county clerk, county treasurer and supervisor of assessments will be $59,064 at the start of the term and will increase $1,200 in each of the following three years.  The salary of the circuit clerk will also increase even though that office is in the middle of its term since it is a court-related office.

Board member Lloyd Foster voted No on the increases.

Phil Toops reported on the operation of the county public transportation system.  Toops oversees the system for the county.  He said ridership is at 110% of goal, but an increase is planned in the per-ride fee as an effort to generate more matching funds.  The fee will go from $2/ride to $3/ride, effective with the new state fiscal year July 1.  Also in conjunction with the new state fiscal year, the Board approved the budget for Effingham County Extension of $94,000, the same amount as the last few years.

The Board also declared May 1 as Law Day, changed a name to update the County's agreement with a firm that works to collect delinquent tax revenue, pass a resolution asking the Illinois General Assembly to take action to provide proper revenue to fund 911 operations, approved a bridge aid petition to support replacement of a box culvert on the Effingham-Jasper County line with each county, Bishop Township in Effingham County and North Muddy Township in Jasper County each paying $1,750, approved a one-lot subdivision plat known as Jarod Wendt Subdivision, a 1.38-acre development, and approved appointments, including Altamont Fire Protection District Trustee Dan Roedl and Watson Fire Protection District Trustee Gary Packer.