County Money-Saving Possibilities

There was a very, very long McHenry County Board Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday.

I went to encourage its members to encourage Governor Pat Quinn to veto the Pam Althoff-Karen McConnaughay-Mike Tryon bill to allow the McHenry County Conservation District to raise our taxes without a referendum. If you don’t want to go to the article to find it, here it is: https://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx.

(You can email the Governor with your views. The link is within this article.)

My issue was not addressed until member comments, which occurred at the very end of the meeting.

In the meantime, there were two issues raised that would potentially save county taxpayers money.

One, having to do with the differences between two ways to borrow money to pay for information technology devices, took forever (well over an hour, maybe over an hour an a half).

The potential savings was $75,000, three-quarters of the cost for borrowing the $15-17 million.

Correct Care Solutions logo

The second discussion might have lasted fifteen minutes, although the stakes were much, much higher.

The other issue concerned an extension of the contract the Sheriff’s Department has with Tennessee-based Correct Care Solutions for providing required health care of prisoners and ICE detainees.

This is the company which at least one employee gave Andy Zinke $1,000 after the primary election. ($1,500 more was also contributed by people from nearby Tennessee zip codes.)

Through County Board Resolution 1763, adopted October 16, 2012, at the Sheriff Keith Nygren’s request, McHenry County contracted with the company for medical services at the correctional facility through November 30, 2017, for the amounts stated below:

  • $1,820,767 in the first year
  • $1,878,121 in the second year
  • $1,967,282 in the third year (this year)
  • $1,998,306 in the fourth year
  • $2,061,253 in the fifth year

The contract assumes there will be 521 prisoners per day.

That’s $5,389 per day for the year which started December 1st.

For every prisoner under that 521 base, the county gets a $1 discount.  Conversely, the county pays $1 more if there are over 521 incarcerated.

The assumption, according to new Business Manager Sandy Salgado, is that there will be more prisoners as a result of Sheriff Bill Prim’s contacting the U.S. Marshals.  There were none on Tuesday.

“We want to work on bringing the numbers up,” she said.

In response to a question from Donna Kurtz about the number incarcerated on the day of the meeting, the reply from Lt. Mike Lucas was “358.”  He said that population level was “steady.”

That means Correct Care Solutions is being paid to care for 45% more inmates than are incarcerated.

“Should there be an assessment at a different number?” Kurtz asked.

“You’ve already started this contract December 1st,” Mike Skala observed.

“I don’t know if we actually have a choice this year.

“I agree with you that 521 is not necessarily the right number.”

Jim Heisler asked if the vendor couldn’t be contacted to see if they’re willing to renegotiate.

“We would prefer not,” Salgado replied.

“You budgeted it,” Skala said.  “It’s not like it’s costing us more as far as the budget goes.”

“True,” Heisler replied, “but I’d like to see us bring this down by half a million dollars.”

“Isn’t that suggesting a change to the Board?” Yvonne Barnes inquired.

Kurtz pointed out that the jail population is steady but 30% less than the number the County is paying Correct Care Solutions to treat.

“I can’t support that kind of contract and frankly I can’t see how anyone else could,” Kurtz said.

Later she suggested the plan was “not based on fact, it’s based on hope.”

“It’s a conundrum,” Jim Heisler concluded.

Assistant State’s Attorney Jana Blake Dixon revealed that after a new county board is sworn in there is a 120-day period during which contracts can be renegotiated.  That 120 days started on December 1st.

“What would happen if we didn’t approve?” John Hammerand asked.

“We’d be scrambling,” Salgado replied, adding the Sheriff’s Office might have to ask for emergency power.

The State’s Attorney’s representative added that she saw potential problems with re-negotiating the contract if the new Board approves the resolution that the Finance Committee advanced with only Kurtz opposing.


Comments

County Money-Saving Possibilities — 6 Comments

  1. How about the County use the Townships to cut the grass, plow the snow, spread the salt, install the culverts, do the cold patching?

    Townships employ non union workers.

    How about the Conservation district dumping their police force and let the Sheriff patrol when necessary?

    MCCD police are the equivalent of farmers hiring private security to monitor their crops and / or livestock!!

  2. If this ‘new’ board and Sheriff has any interest in saving money for the taxpayer, the contract will be re-negotiated!

    We now have a lawyer for Chairman, can’t he negotiate?

  3. Thanks Cautious.

    Didn’t see the highlight because I don’t read with my mouse. lol

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