Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps received Marion County Board approval Tuesday night to assign a sheriff’s deputy fulltime to work with DCFS caseworkers during field visits. Cripps says there will be no cost to the county board under the four year contract.
“The salary, benefits that goes with someone with overtime and training included, clothing, vest, rifle, hand gun, body cam, tazor, and they would reimburse us 100% of all of that, about $117,361 the first year. $116,611 the next 3 years after that.”
Cripps also received permission to pay for some of the equipment upfront until reimbursement is made. Two board members, Brock Waggoner and Tyson McHenry, voted no over concerns of the county having to pick up the cost of the deputy if the state ended the contract early. Cripps says he doesn’t see that happening, but if it did, he’d find a way to pay the cost of the extra deputy through the public safety tax until another officer retired.
In other action, the board agreed to increase to $30,000 the amount of emergency building repairs that could be made without prior county board action. The board agreed to increase its sexual abuse liability coverage to $3-million and the amount of insurance on the emergency weather sirens in unincorporated areas to $55,000 apiece. The increased coverage will cost $2,357.
Finance Committee Chair Chris Krupp discussed entering into a retainer agreement with a person who could help the county board with its finances. No decision was made, but Krupp says he’ll make inquiries to see if an accounting firm might be able to provide such a person.
Krupp reported upon further investigation it was determined coats purchased for members of the coroner’s staff was done through a special fund where revenue was generated by the office and not provided by the county board. As a result, he suggested the county board drop the issue.
The board agreed to have State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth send a letter to each office holder informing them that any county business needs to be conducted through a county e-mail account and not a personal e-mail.
Krupp reported they are still awaiting completion of the overdue audits, but work should be done soon. The latest hang up has been a change in the state’s computer system for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund that is making it more difficult to get information.
The board reappointed Stephen Squibb to the Salem Fire Protection District Board.
