This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter features the latest episode of the Counties Count! Video Podcast, announces 2025 County Lobby Day, makes county officials and staff aware of a class action lawsuit regarding overcharged swipe fees on credit cards, conveys that Republican State Senator Dan McConchie has announced his retirement, reports on Illinois' employment rates for the month of December, highlights an upcoming ISACo Webinar opportunity regarding public health goals and vaccine communication strategies for county health departments featuring Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Sameer Vohra, congratulates the NACo Academy graduates and encourages readers to sign up for the next leadership academy, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, invites county officials and staff to join an ISACo Policy Committee, conveys information about the upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference and Illinois Counties Dinner, announces upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP and invites counties to join ISACo.
Counties Count! Video Podcast
ISACo's Member Services and Communications Manager, Tiffani Homer discusses some of the issues and developments important to Illinois counties.
In this video podcast, we're going to look ahead at the challenging fiscal issues confronting legislators in 2025.
Click on the image above to watch this Counties Count Update.
County Lobby Day - Save the Date!
We are pleased to announce that the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) and ISACo will co-host County Lobby Day on March 19, 2025. Planned activities include a Legislative Briefing, an opportunity to advocate for county issues at the Statehouse and a Legislative Reception that evening at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. Additional details are forthcoming.
Counties May Be Eligible to Recoup Funds in Class Action Suit
If your county accepted Visa or Mastercard payments between January 1, 2004, and January 25, 2019, the county may be eligible to participate in a significant class-action settlement addressing overcharged swipe fees. This settlement, totaling approximately $5.54 billion, resolves claims that Visa and Mastercard, along with their member banks, violated antitrust laws by imposing excessive fees on merchants. The overcharges affected local governments and businesses.
To benefit from this settlement, eligible parties must submit a claim by February 4, 2025. If your county is interested in exploring the opportunity to recoup overcharges, please email ISACo Executive Director jmccoy@isacoil.org for additional guidance.
The press release is available via this link.
Senator McConchie Announces Retirement
State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) announced that he will resign his seat effective Sunday, February 2. Senator McConchie, who served as Senate Republican Leader from 2021-2023 and has been in the Senate since initially appointed to fill a vacancy in 2016, will lead a new not-for-profit organization advocating for people with disabilities.
Illinois Unemployment Rate Down, Jobs Up in December
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced on Friday, January 24, 2025, that nonfarm payrolls increased +8,800 while the unemployment rate fell -0.1 percentage point to 5.2 percent in December, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The November monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -3,400 to -5,400, while the revised unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the preliminary November unemployment rate. The December payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.
The press release is available via this link.
IDPH Public Health Goals and Vaccine Strategies
(Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)
ISACo's Public Health Policy Committee is sponsoring a webinar featuring Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Sameer Vohra. Director Vohra, a general pediatrician who holds degrees in law and public policy, will discuss the importance of vaccines and effective strategies for counties and local health departments to communicate vaccine messaging to the public. The webinar will also provide an overview of IDPH’s broader public health goals.
This event is open to all ISACo members. Please contact Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at thomer@isacoil.org for the link if you would like to participate in the webinar.
IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra
Congratulations to NACo Leadership Academy Graduates
ISACo congratulates the December 2024 graduates of the National Association of Counties Leadership Academy from Illinois. Joining a distinguished network of over 10,000 alumni, these leaders have successfully completed the 12-week online program. This program equips and emerging county leaders with the knowledge and skills to excel and better serve their communities.
- Cathy Dreyer, Assistant Administrator, McLean County
- Joshua Rafinski, Project Leader - Correctional Health Analytics, Cook County
- Sharee Grishom, Assistant Deputy Chief, Cook County
Elevate Your Leadership in 2025!
Invest in your team's future by developing their leadership potential. Our dynamic program empowers your workforce to become effective leaders, both today and tomorrow. Cohorts begin in January, April, August and September.
Additional information is available via this link.
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 counties and our residents.
What We're Reading
Illinois Completes Minimum Wage Increase, Among Other Pro-Worker Law Changes this Year (Labor Tribune)
Pritzker Announces the Addition of Over 5,000 Publicly Funded Preschool Seats (Capitol News Illinois)
Smart Snow Removal: How AI is Transforming Urban Winter Management (American City and County)
Illinois Schools Prepare for Immigration Enforcement (Capitol News Illinois)
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.
NACo Legislative Conference
The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents.
This year, the conference will take place from March 1, 2025, to March 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Attendees have the opportunity to engage in second-to-none policy sessions, interact with officials of the new Administration and meet with members of Congress.
This is a one-of-a-kind advocacy opportunity to strengthen our intergovernmental partnerships for years to come.
Click on this link to register for the conference. ISACo and UCCI will hold an Illinois Counties Dinner on the evening of Saturday, March 1. The dinner will be at the National Press Club. NACo Legislative Conference registrants from Illinois will soon receive invitations for this event.
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.
Understanding Reconciliation: Key Congressional Negotiations Impacting Counties
(Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 2:00pm-3:00pm CST)
Join NACo Government Affairs staff for a webinar exploring the reconciliation process and its implications for county governments. Gain insights into ongoing negotiations in Congress and the administration, and learn how these discussions could shape key county priorities. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed and advocate effectively for your community.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Help Employees Protect Their Retirement Income When It Matters Most
(Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 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 January 29 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 and explore other upcoming Nationwide webinars at nrsforu.com webinars
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
NACo Membership Series: First 100 Days
(Wednesday, January 29, 2025, 1:30pm-2:30pm CST)
Join NACo for week two of a new membership series to provide timely updates and analysis on key developments during the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. These calls will focus on policies and actions that directly impact counties, including federal funding, regulations and intergovernmental partnerships. Join us to stay informed on how these changes may shape county priorities and operations.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Chart Your Course: Online Learning Session #1
(Wednesday, February 5, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
Join NACo staff and a trainer as they kickoff their new "Chart Your Course" learning journey. In this online learning session, they'll offer an overview of the program, discuss how to maximize this opportunity, and will walk through several of the NACo identified courses.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson LLP is the largest law firm in the nation dedicated exclusively to collecting governmental debt. Last year we managed more than $10 billion in delinquencies on behalf of more than 2,400 governmental entities. Our collection programs are custom tailored using the latest technology and guided by the highest legal and ethical standards.
In addition to standard collection services, our unique data analysis technology gives us the ability to identify potential receivables such as erroneous homestead exemptions.
Linebarger’s Chicago office provides comprehensive collection services to cities across Illinois including Chicago, Waukegan, Joliet and Springfield, as well as the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Click here to learn more about Linebarger Attorneys at Law.
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.