This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes green infrastructure grant opportunities, information on the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) homeownership program, proposed amendments to the primary drinking water standard, funding opportunities through the clean jobs workforce network, proposed amendments to compensate local governments for emergency planning and participation in nuclear response exercises, and July's revenue report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA). Additionally ISACo highlights corporate partner Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC, and invites counties to join ISACo. 

ISACo welcomes our newest member Carroll County!

Governor Bill Actions

Governor JB Pritzker has signed several more ISACo-tracked bills* into law. The bills are linked below:

HB 2831 (P.A. 103-0269) - Task Force on Homelessness

HB 475 (P.A. 103-0274) - Community Mental Health Boards/Rescue Squad-Sangamon County

HB 1342 (P.A. 103-0281) - Public Transit Riding Privileges and Fares

HB 1363 (P.A. 103-0282) - Gender Violence-Employer Duty

HB 1399 (P.A. 103-0283) - Criminal Code-Lewd Sexual Display

HB 1727 (P.A. 103-0286) - Counties Code-Bid Exemption

HB 2054 (P.A. 103-0290) - Juvenile Justice Personnel

HB 2100 (P.A. 103-0293) - Crim Cd-Elder Abuse-Exploit

HB 2217 (P.A. 103-0298) - Tenant Radon Protection Act

HB 2487 (P.A. 103-0313) - Justice40 Oversight Committee

HB 2518 (P.A. 103-0315) - Omnibus TIF

HB 2531 (P.A. 103-0317) - IDOT-South Suburban Airport

HB 2539 (P.A. 103-0318) - Local Government Compensation

HB 2619 (P.A. 103-0320) - Nursing Home-Transfer Notice

HB 2719 (P.A. 103-0323) - Fair Patient Billing-Screening

HB 2845 (P.A. 103-0327) - Prevailing Wage-Biosolids

HB 2858 (P.A. 103-0329) - Adult Protective Services

HB 3055 (P.A. 103-0331) - Prisoner Religious Rights

HB 3203 (P.A. 103-0336) - Prevent Fentanyl Exposure

HB 3249 (P.A. 103-0340) - Public Safety Employee Benefits Act

HB 3370 (P.A. 103-0346) - Prevailing Wage-Power Washing

HB 3400 (P.A. 103-0347) - Illinois Works Jobs Program

HB 3508 (P.A. 103-0351) - PFAS Reduction-Forever Pathway

HB 3698 (P.A. 103-0355) - Cultural Empowerment Program Grants-Mental Health

HB 3751 (P.A. 103-0357) - Local Government Law Enforcement Applicants-Non-Citizens

HB 3779 (P.A. 103-0358) - Code of Corrections-Notice of Work Release

HB 3792 (P.A. 103-0359) - Prevailing Wage-Light Poles

HB 3808 (P.A. 103-0360) - Utility-Video Service Definition

HB 3819 (P.A. 103-0361) - Local Deflection Programs

HB 3903 (P.A. 103-0364) - Automated Traffic Light Enforcement Cameras-Ethics

HB 3940 (P.A. 103-0366) - Emergency Telephone Systems

HB 925 (P.A. 103-0405) - Veteran Service Organization Charter Act

SB 74 (P.A. 103-0369) - Property Tax-Installment Payments-Cook County

SB 836 (P.A. 103-0372) - Paint Stewardship Act

SB 895 (P.A. 103-0373) - Infrastructure Maintenance Outside County Boundaries

SB 1438 (P.A. 103-0378) - Illinois Dig Once Act

SB 1463 (P.A. 103-0379) - Minors-No Fees

SB 1555 (P.A. 103-0383) - Statewide Recycling Needs Assessment Act

SB 1710 (P.A. 103-0386) - Vehicle Code-Bicycle Trail Signage

SB 1754 (P.A. 103-0389) - Law Enforcement Training Waiver

SB 1886 (P.A. 103-0391) - Code of Corrections-Probation

SB 2197 (P.A. 103-0397) - County Juvenile Detention Centers- Ombudsman

SB 2227 (P.A. 103-0400) - Counties Code-Recorders

*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information." 

Please click on the image below for our most updated comprehensive report on bills approved by both chambers of interest to counties.  

Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunties
 
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities Program as part of the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. The program makes $10 million available for projects to improve water quality in the state. The program provides funding to construct green infrastructure projects that prevent, eliminate or reduce water quality impairments by decreasing stormwater runoff into Illinois rivers, streams and lakes. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 18, at 12:00 noon CST. IEPA will host an online Technical Assistance Session on Tuesday, August 15, at 1:30 p.m. CST. Online registration is available via this link.  

Opening Doors Homeownership Program 

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) reopened a homeownership program designed to help working-class families and underrepresented communities of color throughout the state of Illinois. The Opening Doors program is designed to aid households who have historically faced steeper barriers in their path toward homeownership with $6,000 in forgivable assistance for down payment and/or closing costs. This latest round of assistance is funded through $20 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act and appropriated to IHDA from the Illinois General Assembly. IHDA expects to assist more than 3,000 homebuyers.

Additional information is available via this link.

Proposed Pollution Control Board Amendments to Primary Drinking Water Standards
 
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has proposed amendments to the Primary Drinking Water Standards implementing regulations adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 and 2021. These amendments include new requirements for drinking water fixtures to be certified as lead-free and prohibit any use of lead pipe, fittings or solder in plumbing designed to carry water for consumption.

Local governments and businesses that supply or receive drinking water are affected by these proposed amendments. PCB is accepting public comments through August 28. Comments should be directed to the Pollution Control Board by email at Don.Brown@illinois.gov.
 
More information about the proposed amendments can be found in the July 14, 2023, edition of the Flinn Report. 

Illinois Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program
 
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $37.9 million in funding for the Illinois Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program. The program establishes a network of 13 community-based hubs across the state for training and job replacement as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). Eligible applicants include nonprofits, community colleges and local governments. DCEO has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the program. The deadline to apply is September 1 at 5:00 p.m. CST. 

Nuclear Response Exercise Grants
 
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has proposed amendments to the Compensation of Local Governments for Emergency Planning and Participation in Nuclear Response Exercises, an existing administrative rule, which establishes policies and procedures to compensate grantees for nuclear emergency response exercises, authorized by Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act. The proposed amendments will allow IEMA to either reclaim unexpended grant funds through the recovery process in the Grant Recovery Act or offset funds not spent in a previous year by deducting them from grants in a subsequent year. Local governments that receive IEMA grants for nuclear emergency response are affected by these proposed amendments. IEMA is accepting public comments through September 5.
 
Comments should be directed to IEMA by email at Traci.Burton@illinois.gov. More information about the proposed amendments can be found in the July 21, 2023, edition of the Flinn Report.

COGFA July Revenue Report

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability released its July Revenue Report. The following is excerpted from the report:

"Base revenues into the State’s General Funds performed quite well to start off FY 2024 with year- over-year growth of $396 million. However, when last July’s $584 million deposit of ARPA reimbursements are included in the calculation, the overall change is a decline of $188 million to start the fiscal year. July had the same number of receipting days as the same month the prior fiscal year. The increase in base receipts was spurred by notable improvement from income tax receipts. Personal Income Taxes rose $184 million in July, a net increase of $153 million when removing distributions to the Refund Fund and the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). Similarly, Corporate Income Taxes rose a solid $117 million, or $95 million on a net basis.

As provided by P.A. 103-0008, the annual percentage of personal income tax revenues that are to go to the Income Tax Refund Fund was lowered from 9.25% in FY 2023 to 9.15% in FY 2024. The percentage of corporate income tax revenues that are to go to the Income Tax Refund Fund was also reduced, from 14.5% to 14.0%. Reduced refund fund percentages mean that more available funds could go into the State’s General Funds. However, the gain in net receipts due to these percentage changes will be more than offset by an increase in the portion distributed to the LGDF. Public Act 103-0008 also provided that 6.47% (instead of 6.16%) of personal income tax revenues (net of refunds) shall go to the LGDF in FY 2024. The amount of net corporate receipts to the LGDF did not change and remains at 6.85%.

The growth in base revenues was also aided by a significant rise in Federal Sources base receipts. In July these particular receipts were $253 million higher than the year prior. However, if the $584 million in non-base federal dollars receipted in July 2022 from the ARPA Reimbursement for Essential Government Services are included into the equation, Federal Sources were actually down $331 million for the month. No additional ARPA reimbursements are anticipated in FY 2024, which will be a comparable disadvantage throughout the year when comparing FY 2024 with FY 2023 year- to-date totals.

Sales Taxes held flat in July on a gross basis. On a net basis, when accounting for distributions to the Road Fund and other transportation funds, a modest decline of $11 million occurred due the increase in Road Fund Transfers under current law. In regard to all Other State Sources, revenues combined to eke out a $2 million gain. A $20 million increase in Interest on State Funds & Investments, a $7 million rise in Corporate Franchise Taxes, and a slight $1 million increase in Public Utility Taxes helped offset declines in General Funds receipt distributions from Insurance Taxes [-$16 million]; Inheritance Taxes [-$6 million]; and the Cigarette Tax [-$4 million].

The performance of Transfers In was mixed. Lottery Transfers were $20 million higher, Gaming Transfers from Illinois’ casinos were up $7 million, and Cannabis Transfers rose $1 million. These gains, however, could not overcome the $124 million decline in Other Transfers, resulting in an overall Transfers In decline of $96 million. The notable decline in Other Transfers is primarily due to a Capital Projects Fund July 2022 transfer of $140 million that did not repeat in July of this year.” 

The full report is available via this link.

CORPORATE SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC. 

The Law Firm of Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC strives to provide superior legal representation with the objective of exceeding their clients’ expectations. Each member of the firm is committed to utilizing critical analysis and innovative approaches to achieve timely resolutions with the best possible results for their clients.

More information about the services provided by Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC is available via this link.

Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.

Become an ISACo Member!