Conservation District Budget – Part 8 Staff Down 10% over Two Years

Your opportunity to see what the McHenry County Board sees prior to voting whether to approve or reject the McHenry County Conservation District Board’s budget continues.

This is being presented because word around the courthouse is that County Board Chairman Jack Franks wants to cut the MCCD budget proposal by 5%.


• From FY 2015 through FY 2017 the District decreased the number of full time employees from 83 to 75, which represents a 10% reduction.

• The District implemented a staffing reorganization in 2013 that allowed the District to reduce the number of full time employees.

• The District is currently evaluating an additional staffing reorganization as part of the long range strategic alignment plan.

• The District’s staffing level is the lowest since 2007.

• The District has retained competent, dedicated and knowledgeable staff during a challenging economic climate with expanded operations, services, programs, and sites due to the increased acres preserved and growing numbers of visitors using sites and amenities.


Comments

Conservation District Budget – Part 8 Staff Down 10% over Two Years — 1 Comment

  1. One of the most importation pieces of information a property taxing district can provide to a taxpayer is the debt service schedule.

    Here is an example of a debt service schedule:

    2017 – Principal – Interest – Total

    2018 – Principal – Interest – Total

    2019 – Principal – Interest – Total

    etc.

    +++++++++++++++++

    A debt service schedule is sometimes found in the property taxing district’s:

    – comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR)

    – audited financial report

    – Official Statement (OS) on the EMMA MSRB website (the property taxing district could and in the name of transparency should put the OS on the property taxing district website, but that is rare).

    – other locations

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++

    pdf Page 61 of 125 of the McHenry County Conservation District 2016 CAFR reveals the “Debt Service Requirements to Maturity.”

    That’s the Debt Service Schedule.

    Between 2017 and 2027 county taxpayers are scheduled to pay

    Principal: $104,580,000

    Interest: $35,190,413

    Total: $139,770,413

    The annual total increases from $11,882,700 in 2017 to $14,143,500 in 2027.

    That’s a 19% increase.

    ++++++++

    Look at the last sentence in the article.

    ….”growing numbers of visitors using sites and amenities.”

    One could submit a FOIA request to the Conservation District requesting documents indicating the “growing numbers of visitors using sites and amenties.”

    Additionally asking for specific number the districts has about visitors per site.

    Referencing this article or the source document of this article.

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