ISACo News and Views Newsletter for February 18, 2020

February 18, 2020

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter highlights several bills of interest to counties, provides an update on the status of ISACo's Illinois County Action Program (ICAP), includes a round-up of county news stories, shares information about a rural community economic development conference, urges county officials to save the date for ISACo's 2020 Lobby Day, asks county officials to follow ISACo on social media, highlights ISACo corporate partner Christopher B. Burke Engineering and invites counties to join ISACo.

ISACo is pleased to welcome Peoria County and White County as our newest members.

2020 ISACo Legislative Agenda

ISACo's 2020 Illinois County Action Program (ICAP) is available via this link.

ISACo's 2020 County Platform is available via this link.

ISACo's 2020 Policy Resolutions are available via this link.

Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information.

COUNTIES COUNT!

County Legislation Spotlight

ISACo maintains an updated list of legislation of interest to counties. This list is organized by category and available within the legislative section of our website and via this link.

ISACo has taken positions on several bills. A list of these bills, along with ISACo's position, is available via this link.

ISACo will frequently highlight bills of interest to counties. This week's highlighted bills are below. In some cases ISACo has a position. In other cases, ISACo does not have a position or the position has not yet been determined. ISACo positions on legislation are informed by our County Platform (available via this link).

HB 4228 - Compensation of County Elected Officers

HB 4808 - FOIA Penalties and Escrow Requirement (Oppose)

SB 3220 - County Shared Tax Savings Plan

SB 2305 - Motor Fuel Tax Business Enterprise Program Mandate (Oppose)

SB 3305 - State Reimbursement to County Jails (Support)

SB 3218 Same as Above Bill (Support)

ISACo Legislative Agenda Update

ISACo has secured sponsorship for our 2020 Illinois County Action Program (ICAP). The following bills have been introduced on behalf of ISACo:

HB 4078 - IMRF Pension Funding Target

HB 4420 - County Board Involvement in Labor Negotiations

HB 4457 - Oversight of IMRF Trustee Ballot Elections

HB 4695 - Local Option Motor Fuel Tax

HB 4854 - County Board Hiring of Attorney

HB 5043 - Abatement of Excess Property Tax Revenues

HB 5455 - Recover Erroneous Homestead Exemptions

SB 2466 - Revoke Special Use Permit for Cause

SB 3143 - Website Posting of Property Assessments

SB 3162 - Duplicate Township Names

SB 3513 - Regulation of Adult Use Facilities

SB 3622 - Election of County Board Chair and Vice Chair

SB 3826 - Vote Threshold for Approving Zoning Change

Counties in the News

Will County To Expedite Some Cannabis Offense Expungements (Patch)

DuPage awards $100,000 to Nonprofit Groups to Help Fight the Opioid Epidemic (Daily Herald)

Decatur, Coles County Housing Authorities Among Central Illinois Agencies Getting Federal Public Housing Funds (Herald Review)

Efforts to Improve Rural Broadband Grow in Illinois (WSILTV)

Illinois Working to Protect Elections After 2016 Hack (WAND)

Southern Illinois Could Benefit from Pritzker Opioid Treatment Executive Order (Cherokee Tribune and Ledger News)

From Cybersecurity To Spoiled Ballots: How Officials Prepare For A Presidential Election (Illinois Newsroom)

Effort to Identify Goals for Effingham County's Future Begins (Effingham Daily News)

McLean County is Considering Placing a Sales Tax on Cannabis (CIProud)

Big Crowd Showed Up with Opinions on Jasper County (Press Mentor)

Rural Community Economic Development Conference

The 31st Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference begins on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, in Springfield with a Welcome Reception at 7:00 p.m. On Wednesday, the morning plenary session features speakers who will discuss creative strategies for the future of rural Illinois.

Additional information about the conference along with registration instructions are available via this link.

Save the Date! ISACo Lobby Day Scheduled for April 29, 2020

ISACo will host its first Lobby Day event on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in Springfield.

The day will begin at the Wyndham City Centre in Springfield with breakfast at 9 a.m followed by a legislative briefing at 10 a.m.

Following the briefing, county officials will head to the Statehouse to lobby their legislators. There will be an early evening reception to conclude the day's activities.

The event is designed to allow people to drive to Springfield and return home the same day. Some may opt to seek hotel accommodations on the evening of April 28 or 29. Attendees wishing to seek lodging are encouraged to reserve a hotel room as soon as possible.

Please RSVP to Brenna Metrow at bmetrow@isacoil.org or at 217-679-3368. We look forward to seeing you there!

Follow ISACo on Social Media

A great way to stay current on issues affecting or of interest to counties is by following ISACo on social media. Please follow our Facebook page and Twitter feed and join the conversation!

Click here to visit our Facebook page.

@Isacoil

Click here to visit our Twitter feed.

@IsacoTweets

Corporate Partner Spotlight

This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Christoper B. Burke Engineering.

Started in 1986, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LTD. is a full-service consulting engineering and surveying firm specializing in civil, transportation/highway, municipal, traffic, construction, water resources, environmental, structural and mechanical engineering. The company provides not only design services, but also planning, preliminary engineering, permitting, and construction observation. Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LTD. successfully completed the design, permitting and construction of numerous major transportation projects, flood control reservoirs, pump stations, embankments, water mains and water systems, storm sewers, and large open channels.

More information about the services provided by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LTD. is available via this link.

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

The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!

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. Thank you for your consideration.

News and Views is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.