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Rock Island
County Board Meeting Notes
May 21, 2014 County Board Meeting
My update from May 20, 2014
Rock Island County Board Meeting
I voted to freeze all for the four
elected official salary positions due to the county's financial picture.
A yes vote was for option D which was to freeze the current salaries.
Chris Filbert reminded those on the board that this is a salary set for the
position, not the individual since it cannot be base on performance per se
because it is an elected position so someone else could conceivably be elected
to the position on which we are setting the salary. Often we heard that John Doe
deserved a raise which doesn't make sense since Jane Doe might run and win. It
was not about the people but the financial situation in our county. We are
borrowing money to operate on anticipated revenue. Not a way to run a county in
a deficit situation.
I also explained to the Chairman and the full board that mileage cannot be given
to the chairman from his home to the county office building because IT IS HIS
PRIMARY PLACE OF BUSINESS. He explained that he is also a county board member
like me, but I explained further that it is an IRS regulation and that the
county office building IS NOT MY PRIMARY PLACE OF BUSINESS like it is his, and
therefore he is not allowed mileage like the other board members. That is the
defining factor.
Other issues included Hope Creek and a closed session issue that I cannot
discuss. You may add my name to Mssrs. Oelke and Johnston who criticized Mr.
Meersman. I took off time from work to attend the Health and Human Services
meeting (a committee I am not on) due to a anonymous person calling me and
advising me of a situation regarding a survey at Hope Creek. I contend that if
the public has access to information online regarding Hope Creek THEN AT LEAST
the members of the committee that has oversight of Hope Creek should be apprised
of that situation and not left in the dark. The public IS BETTER INFORMED than
the people responsible for oversight of that fine institution. That is wrong and
I pointed that out.
To allay any concerns, Hope Creek is now in full compliance. Problems can occur
at any home. How a situation is dealt with is important. Corrective actions have
been taken.
People deserve to know how I represent them. It is my intention that this vote
represents the majority wishes of the people in our Rock Island County District
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