This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes the ISACo 2024 Public Acts and State Mandates Reports, shares 2025 Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) estimates from the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), makes county officials aware that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is seeking public comment regarding mine reclamation projects, invites county officials and staff to join an ISACo Policy Committee, includes a 2024 nursing home violations quarterly report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), shares what ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, congratulates the 2024 April National Association of Counties (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy graduates and invites county officials and staff to enroll in the next program, announces upcoming Public Surplus and NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Public Surplus and invites counties to join ISACo.
ISACo 2024 Public Acts Report
ISACo publishes and updates a report of tracked bills enacted into law in 2024. The report is available by clicking on the image below and will be updated to include any legislation approved during the fall Veto Session (November 12-14 and 19-21) that are subsequently enacted into law.
*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."
ISACo 2024 State Mandates Report
Each year, ISACo publishes a report identifying newly enacted laws that impose state mandates on counties. Our 2024 State Mandates Report: New Mandates on Counties Enacted in 2024 is available by clicking on the image below.
Our previously published annual State Mandates Reports are available via this link.
IDOR Releases 2025 Property Tax Replacement Tax Estimates
The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) Fiscal Year 2025 Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) allocations are estimated at $2.016 billion. This is a decrease from Fiscal Year 2024 PPRT allocations that totaled $2.991 billion.
A detailed listing of the approximate 6,500 local taxing districts which are entitled to receive an allocation for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) is available via this link.
ISACo has prepared a Policy Brief (available via this link) with additional information about PPRT.
IDNR Seeking Public Comment Regarding Mine Reclamation Projects
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is seeking public comment regarding abandoned mine land reclamation projects that have been selected for work through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The Abandoned Mine Land program addresses serious environmental and safety problems at coal and non-coal mines abandoned prior to August 3, 1977. IDNR’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Division was awarded $75.7 million per year for a total of 15 years through IIJA to address land and water reclamation projects.
The deadline for comments is September 20, 2024. Comments can be emailed to lance.l.range@illinois.gov or mailed to Lance Range, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Mines and Minerals, 1 Natural Resources Way, Springfield IL 62702.
Additional information is available via this link.
Join ISACo's Policy Committees
ISACo policy committees shape the Association's legislative advocacy efforts. Meetings are held virtually and committees meet four times per year unless committee members desire to meet more frequently. Service on an ISACo Policy Committee is contingent upon the county being a member of ISACo or the applicant being a member of an affiliated association.
Policy Committee opportunities are as follows. Committees with links are already meeting, although there are openings on all policy committees.
Please click on the image below, complete the form and e-mail it to Legislative Advocacy and Research Manager Nekya Hall at nhall@isacoil.org.
2024 Nursing Home Violations Announced
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that it has posted the 2024 Second Quarterly Report of Nursing Home Violations. Details on the 268 violation reports completed in the second quarter of 2024 are available via this link on the IDPH website.
The five facilities listed below were cited with type “AA” violations of the Nursing Home Care Act during the second quarter of 2024, the most severe type of violation. An “AA” violation is cited when there is a condition or occurrence at the facility that proximately caused a resident’s death. Click on the links below to view the completed “AA” violation reports.
- Alden of Watford, a facility in Aurora, was fined $50,000.
- Aliya of Palos Park, a facility in Palos Park, was fined $52,200.
- Aperion Care of West Chicago, a nursing home in West Chicago, was fined $50,000.
- Jerseyville Nursing & Rehab Center, a facility in Jerseyville, was fined $77,200.
- St. Anthony’s Nursing & Rehab Center, a facility in Rock Island, was fined $75,000.
The press release is available via this link.
What We're Reading
Life in the Fast Lane: Study Says These U.S. Cities Have the ‘Speediest Drivers’ (American City and County)
Capitol Briefs: Biden designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot Monument (Capitol News Illinois)
Applauding Your Commitment to Growth: Leadership Development with the National Association of Counties
ISACo would like to acknowledge and congratulate the April NACo Leadership Academy graduates from Illinois. They join over 10,000 graduates and current participants from across the country benefitting from the 12-week online program enabling existing and emerging county leaders to achieve their highest potential.
- Daniel Bartlett, GIS Manager, Cook County
- Ellen O’Connor, Interim Deputy Director of Finance /Manager, Grant and Contract Management, Cook County
- Greg Pollard, Process Improvement Specialist, Peoria County
- Jacqueline Moreno, Administrative Specialist, DuPage County
- Joy Logan, Senior Project Manager, Cook County
- Justin Hester, Financial Analyst II, DuPage County
- Kimberlee Gallivan, Research Supervisor, DuPage County
- Lia Escalante, ROD Supervisor - Accounting, DuPage County
- Maria Orozco, Administrative Analyst III, Cook County
- Michael Palmisano, Office Assistant, DuPage County
Last chance to enroll for 2024!
The September Cohort is right around the corner. Join the High Performance Leadership Academy in investing in the workforce – empowering them to become better leaders today and into the future.
Click here to learn more and enroll!
Developed by General Colin Powell, the Professional Development Academy and NACo, the High Performance Leadership Academy is an online 12-week program that helps your workforce develop fundamental, practical leadership skills to deliver results for municipalities and our residents.
Upcoming Public Surplus Webinar Dates
Public Surplus will be offering 20-minute webinar sessions to interested individuals to learn more about Public Surplus and its online auction site. Participants will also be guided on how to register, or re-register to create a new account.
Public Surplus is an online auction platform that offers services to local government agencies.
ISACo has partnered with Public Surplus to provide large discounts for our county members when it comes to doing online auctions, specifically real estate sales.
Through a partnership with ISACo, Illinois counties are eligible to list items with a reduced buyer's premium, which will encourage competitive bidding on surplus items listed. With Public Surplus, buyers are responsible for all service fees, and it costs counties nothing to use the service.
Public Surplus will also provide a 10 percent rebate to ISACo on each sale so that the Association can continue to offer a high level of service at minimal cost to members.
The webinar will take place on the following dates:
- September 11, 2024, at 11am CST
- October 10, 2024, at 2pm CST
- October 22,2024, at 3pm CST
Stay tuned for available links to the webinars.
Upcoming NACo Webinars
NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities.
Empowering Counties with AI: A Holistic Approach
(Thursday, August 29, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
Discover how to transform your county's operations through strategic AI implementation. This webinar will discuss the eight critical focus areas that will propel your government into the future—from crafting a robust AI strategy and fostering an AI-ready culture to ensuring proper governance and identifying the right technology infrastructure. Whether you've already begun your AI journey or just getting started, join us as we share the essential components of AI integration for county governments.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Maximizing Taxpayer Value: Sedgwick County's Strategic Approach to Managing Public Funds
(Thursday, September 5, 2024, 10:00am-11:00am CST)
In this session, Brent Shelton, Deputy CFO, Sedgwick County, Kan. will share his insights and success stories in utilizing data to optimize the County’s liquidity, maximize returns and enhance overall financial performance. The data provided by this innovative program was exactly what the County was looking for and confirmed their need for an objective third-party to substantiate and elevate their cash management and investment practices. Join NACo EDGE and three+one to discover how these strategic decisions have generated new revenue for Sedgwick County.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Growing the Early Care and Education Workforce through Apprenticeships
(Thursday, September 5, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
Early care and education (ECE) providers are often called the workforce behind the workforce because access to child care allows parents to work and further their education and training. However, the ECE field struggles with high rates of turnover and difficulty recruiting new workers because of low wages and poor benefits. Apprenticeships are one strategy to help the ECE workforce pursue additional education and credentials while being compensated and supporting during their learning. Join this webinar to hear how counties are utilizing apprenticeship programs to grow child care supply and strengthen local economies.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Q3 Tech Xchange Focus Group: What Are You Doing to Create A Strong Data Governance For Your County?
(Friday, September 6, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm CST)
Join NACo for a robust discussion that unpacks best practices in data governance. Do you know where your data "crown jewels" are located? Do you struggle with “Shadow IT”? Do you have a data asset inventory? How is your data preserved and secured against technology failures or cyber-crimes? Counties are comprised of individual departments, many with independent elected officials. Current data governance strategies need to account for data in all forms: on premise, cloud, storage providers (e.g. OneDrive, DropBox), collaboration platforms (e.g. Teams, Webex), email, non-digital (paper), removeable media, etc. A strong governance model will cover data from creation to coordinated and planned deletion. If time permits, the association between a strong governance policy and the effective management of right-to-know requests will be explored.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Serve Your Constituents Through Better Cybersecurity
(Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)
In today’s world, cybersecurity is a critical component of effective governance and risk management. Join NACo and Celerium on September 17 at 1 PM ET for an informative webinar tailored for county governments on how they can serve their constituents through better cybersecurity.
This session will provide an overview of strategies and best practices to enhance your county’s cybersecurity and risk management posture. Learn how to proactively address the unique challenges faced by local government entities, including protecting citizen information and mitigating emerging threats.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Serve Your Constituents Through Better Cybersecurity
(Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)
When it comes to retirement investments, your employees may need help choosing the right thing at the right time. Join Nationwide and NACo EDGE for this September 18 webinar to learn how you can help savers stay on track for retirement by offering automatic features that deliver in-plan lifetime income.
Can’t wait for the webinar? Learn more at Nationwide resource hub at nrsforu.com. You can also enjoy this quick read and watch a 2-minute video in Nationwide's nrsforu.com newsroom to learn more about helping employees be more confident in their retirement planning.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
NACo Cyberattack Simulation: Financial Access
(Monday, Sept. 23 - Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)
Financial transaction systems are prime targets for cyber threats due to the value and sensitivity of the data. This cyber simulation assesses risks and fortifies safeguards within financial access systems. The simulation involves breaches from unauthorized access to financial systems, often obtained through what seem to be legitimate contacts, but in reality, are not. The simulation seeks to foster a comprehensive understanding of the complexities inherent in securing financial access to systems, enabling the development and testing of proactive strategies to mitigate cyber risks effectively. Insights derived from this simulation will empower institutions to fortify their cybersecurity posture, implement stringent controls, bolster incident response capabilities, and proactively defend against evolving cyber threats targeting financial infrastructure.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights Public Surplus.
Public Surplus is an online auction platform that offers services to local government agencies. Their system was created with unique capabilities specifically for public agencies, making it much more than an auction site.
ISACo has partnered with Public Surplus to provide large discounts for our county members when it comes to doing online auctions, specifically real estate sales.
Through a partnership with ISACo, Illinois counties are eligible to list items with a reduced buyer's premium, which will encourage competitive bidding on surplus items listed. With Public Surplus, buyers are responsible for all service fees, and it costs counties nothing to use the service.
Public Surplus will also provide a 10 percent rebate to ISACo on each sale so that the Association can continue to offer a high level of service at minimal cost to members.
To foster this new partnership, Public Surplus will be offering a 20-minute webinar to interested individuals to learn more about Public Surplus. Participants will be guided on how to register, or re-register a new account.
More information about the services provided by Public Surplus is available via this link.
*Please note, if you already use a Public Surplus account, you must re-register in order for ISACo to receive a portion of the sale. ISACo thanks you for your support!
Sign up or re-register your Public Surplus Account 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!
Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Member Services and Communication Manager Tiffani Homer at (217) 679-3368 or thomer@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.