Friday, Dec. 1 marked the first day of a new fiscal year for Monroe County. 

After several budget hearings throughout the month, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners approved the county budget during a special meeting Thursday.

Commissioners also approved a tax levy for the county’s corporate fund, payable in 2024, in the amount of $8,110,651 with additional levies of $489,500 and $440,000 for the county’s Mental Health Funding Board and EMS department, respectively. 

The budget was largely unchanged from previous discussions – with about $11.3 million in expected revenue against $11.1 million in projected expenses –  although a small change in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Monroe County State’s Attorney’s Office budgets led to some heated discussion at both the Nov. 30 and Dec. 4 county meetings.

A total of $25,000 was taken out of the sheriff’s department payroll line and $50,000 was added to the state’s attorney’s budget – a net $25,000 increase – in order to finance the hire of a new sheriff’s deputy in a “part-time investigator” position.

The shared position will act as a liaison between the two departments to handle increased pre-trial responsibilities associated with the abolishment of cash bail which began in September as part of Illinois SAFE-T Act police and judicial reform bill.

Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb explained the need for the investigator position is in response to provisions in the SAFE-T Act which require “immediate” action from both his office and the sheriff’s department when a person is charged with a crime.

Frequent meeting attendee Pat Kelly, who ran in 2022 as a Democrat against current Monroe County Commissioner Vicki Koerber, a Republican, for her seat on the board, took issue with the addition, asking the board if the requirement “came down from the state.”

Commissioner Dennis Knobloch responded sharply, saying, “There’s nothing coming down from the state. All that comes down from the state are the crappy laws that we have to put up with and spend more money on. There’s nothing coming down from the state to help pay for the extra work that we have to do.”

Koerber added there may be further amendments to the 2024 fiscal year budget as the effects of the SAFE-T Act bear out, noting pre-trial release provisions have only been in place since Sept. 18.

Koerber said additional help may be needed in the Monroe County Circuit Clerk’s Office as well as in the county’s judicial system.

Kelly then suggested a reduction in the Monroe County Jail inmate population should mean a decrease in personnel needed to staff the jail.

Knobloch responded by saying the cost to house inmates is “minimal,” and that pre-trial release demands and an anticipated increase in people not showing up for court will “cost the taxpayers more than before this bill was enacted. I don’t care what kind of Kool-Aid you’re drinking. That’s the way it is.”

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing was in attendance at the regular board meeting Monday to address statements made by Kelly at Thursday’s special meetings. 

Rohlfing addressed Kelly directly, taking issue with what the sheriff believes is criticism because he is a Republican.

Rohlfing then went on to list the types of alleged offenders who have been granted pre-trial release since September. He then asked Kelly if he went to the Waterloo and Columbia city meetings to protest the addition of officers in those departments. 

Rohlfing also proposed the board restrict Kelly to speaking only during the public comment portion of meetings, saying he would be “bounced out of the meeting” if he were to interrupt a St. Clair County government meeting.

Kelly responded that he doesn’t pay taxes in those municipalities, adding the “Kool-Aid money” (American Rescue Plan Act funds) used to fund the jail expansion project currently in progress “came from the Democrats.” 

Kelly also said he is merely a representative of those who take issue with the way Rohlfing performs his duties.

Rohlfing later clarified his comments to the Republic-Times – specifically regarding Kelly’s issue with the sheriff’s department budget.

“I have 45 good-paying jobs,” Rohlfing began, “but I don’t offer jobs based on party,” saying people like Kelly are targeting him and “playing politics” because there hasn’t been a Democrat elected to a county office since 2016.

“I don’t sheriff for Republicans only. I sheriff for everybody,” Rohlfing continued.

Rohlfing also said he has looked for ways to increase revenue, such as doubling the number of state inmates housed at the jail.  

Rohlfing added he has “never budgeted anything that benefits me personally,” adding that for the 2024 budget he “wanted three new deputies. I asked for two. I got a half.”  

In other business Thursday, commissioners voted in George Green as its new board chairman. Knobloch, who had served as chairman the past two years, was elected as vice-chair.

Commissioners also approved a budget submitted by Oak Hill Administrator Shari Kruep. 

Using numbers based on the previous fiscal year, Kruep anticipated the county-owned senior living and rehabilitation center in Waterloo will earn just over $250,000 this year despite losing over $1 million in the 2023 budget year.

During Monday’s meeting, Monroe County Treasurer Kevin Koenigstein reported the end-of-year numbers are being closed out, with the county being up about $1 million in its general fund.

“There are not a lot of counties that can say that,” Koerber remarked.

Koenigstein also thanked Dawn Wahlig of the treasurer’s office for her work to expedite collection of county property tax payments, which are close to 70 percent collected.

The second due date for property tax payments is Dec. 21.

A copy of the final budget as approved may be accessed at the Monroe County website, monroecountyil.gov/budgets.