Stephenson County IL Finance Committee Meeting 10-9-26

The Stephenson County Finance Committee met October 9, 2026, to review claims, insurance, and the 2027 budget. The committee approved claims totaling approximately $1.218 million and the property-and-casualty insurance renewal: the premium rises from $837,000 to about $944,000, a 12% increase, with the existing $10 million umbrella coverage retained. Members voted to keep the tax levy flat rather than approve a proposed increase. They also discussed capital requests, including funding for a chip spreader and road improvements; the transcript does not clearly establish final approval of those supplemental requests. A $65,000 increase requested for the Veterans Assistance Commission was removed, while $5,000 for mental-health services was to be funded from opioid settlement dollars instead of a levy increase. The committee approved the nursing-facility-related levy item intended to pay outstanding vendors, and approved surplus tax-sale properties for transfer to new owners.

The committee also reviewed a proposed employee genetic-testing services agreement but did not approve it, citing unresolved concerns about genetic-data use and retention, governing law, and liability limits. Staff and counsel were to pursue revisions before the agreement returned for consideration. The 2027 budget review included a $5,000 increase in IT contractual expenses for county website maintenance and a $500,000 surplus-equity allocation related to tax-sale changes. The committee raised questions about the Sheriff’s 911-related funds being held in an off-book account and called for further explanation and oversight. Other departmental budgets were reviewed and voted on during the meeting.