This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter informs about the 30-day extension of the State's Disaster Proclamation, reports on Attorney General Raoul's announcement of a $26 billion opioid settlement agreement, provides information on $72 million in COVID-19 relief now available to Illinois small local governments, includes a link to view Illinois county officials and staff serving in leadership and influence roles within the National Association of Counties (NACo), links to ISACo's State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds resource page, announces upcoming NACo webinars, spotlights ISACo's corporate partner Wight & Company and invites counties to join ISACo.
Disaster Proclamation Extended
On Friday, July 23, 2021, Governor JB Pritzker extended the Disaster Proclamation through August 21, 2021. Of note, while the Proclamation did not include the remote meeting authority provision found within previous Proclamations, there may still be authority to hold remote meetings pursuant to P.A. 101-0640. ISACo recommends that counties consult with their state's attorney to clarify what is or is not permitted with respect to remote meetings.
Click on this link to read the Proclamation.
Attorney General Raoul Announces $26 Billion Agreement with Opioid Distributors and Manufacturers Johnson & Johnson
On July 21, 2021, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a historic $26 billion agreement that will, if finalized, help bring desperately needed relief to people and communities in Illinois and across the country who are struggling with opioid addiction. The agreement includes Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen – the nation’s three major pharmaceutical distributors – and Johnson & Johnson, which manufactured and marketed opioids. The agreement also requires significant industry changes that will help prevent this type of crisis from happening again. The agreement would resolve investigations and litigation over the companies’ roles in creating and fueling the opioid epidemic.
Click on this link to view the full press release.
Pritzker Administration Announces $742 Million in COVID-19 Relief Now Available to Illinois Small Local Governments
Governor JB Pritzker announced that beginning July 22, 2021, more than 1,250 small cities, towns, and villages across Illinois that have not already received aid from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) can apply for their share of more than $742 million in federal funds. The money can be used to cover expenses incurred while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first payments are expected to be made in August.
To assist local governments as they claim their allotments, the State of Illinois has established a website portal accessible via this link.
Authorized community representatives can access the portal now to certify and request their allotment within minutes. Municipalities completing the portal submission, including all of the documentation required by the U.S. Treasury, can expect to receive half of their funding in approximately 30 days with the remaining half roughly a year later. The deadline for municipalities to apply for funding is September 30, 2021, and there will be no other opportunity for municipalities to apply for later distributions.
Click on this link to view the full press release.
Illinois Leadership within NACo
Illinois counties are well-represented within NACo's leadership structure and across various policy steering committees. Click on this link to view a see where Illinois county officials and staff currently represent our state within NACo.
State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds Resource Page
ISACo continues to update our resource page dedicated to aggregating information concerning the rules and processes for expending federal State and Local Fiscal and Recovery Funds dollars. The resource page includes a lost revenue calculator to aid counties in determining how much lost revenue they incurred for which federal funds can be appropriately utilized.
Upcoming NACo Webinars
NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities:
Prenatal to Three Urban Peer Learning Network: Leveraging County ARPA Funds for Infants, Toddlers and Families
(Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, young children and the systems and programs that serve them have faced serious disruptions and challenges. As counties begin planning how to spend the $65.1 billion of direct, flexible aid available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), there are opportunities to address economic and educational disparities, promote healthy childhood environments, support the essential child care workforce and invest broadly in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Join national experts and peer counties to discuss and brainstorm strategies for prioritizing infants and toddlers in these recovery efforts.
Click on this link to register for this event.
Prenatal to Three Rural Peer Learning Network: Leveraging County ARPA Funds for Infants, Toddlers and Families
(Thursday, July 29, 2021, 2:00pm-3:00pm CST)
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, young children and the systems and programs that serve them have faced serious disruptions and challenges. As counties begin planning how to spend the $65.1 billion of direct, flexible aid available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), there are opportunities to address economic and educational disparities, promote healthy childhood environments, support the essential child care workforce and invest broadly in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Join national experts and peer counties to discuss and brainstorm strategies for prioritizing infants and toddlers in these recovery efforts.
Click on this link to register for this event.
Corporate Sponsor Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Wight & Company.
For more than 80 years, Wight & Company has helped clients create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people's lives. Wight also specializes in providing professional services for transportation and infrastructure projects for counties, municipalities, state agencies, and private landowners.
More information about the services by Wight & Company 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!
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 Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.