Tazewell County's budget process received a shot in the arm Wednesday.
The county board approved purchasing and implementing budget and capital planning software from Euna Solutions of Chicago for a cost of $49,923 and a first-year license fee of $48,242, which is within the budgeted amount of $100,000.
The year two and year three license fees are $49,689 and $51,181, respectively.
While Euna Solutions wasn't the lowest bidder, it offered "the best software," said County Finance Manager Mindy Darcy, and will work with current and future accounting software.
According to a memo written for board members, the software will "eliminate the use of Excel spreadsheets which require double entry of budget data, assign and communicate work flow to the appropriate individual via assigned account-level security, create custom reports including on-line and PDF versions of our budget document, and easily view budget vs. actual financial results within the software via each department's custom dashboard."
In summary, according to the memo, the software will save every county department time, eliminate errors, streamline the budget process and always provide up-to-date information, the memo reads.
An inside look at the highway department
County Engineer Dan Parr gave an overview Wednesday of the inner workings and work done by the Tazewell County Highway Department.
"We have great department heads, and I think it's important for us to learn what each department does," said board chairman Brett Grimm. "Dan was first up."
Carle Heath gets more waiting room space in county health department building
In action Wednesday, the board approved:
- Adding 221 square feet of space in a shared waiting area for Carle Health in the Tazewell County Health Department building at 1800 Broadway St. in Pekin. The revised monthly rent for Carle Health is now $3,713 for the first five years of its lease agreement with the county. Monthly rent would increase to $4,040, $4,368 and $4,695, respectively, for three additional five-year terms if Carle Health wants them.
- Hiring Cleveland-based CBIZ to do a compensation and classification study for county staff for $97,500.
- Changing three polling locations that formerly were in the First Presbyterian Church of Pekin, which has closed. Elm Grove 2 is now at Grace Baptist Church along State Route 9 in Pekin; Cincinnati 2 is now at the Church of Jesus Christ along 14th Street in Pekin; and Cincinnati 5 is now at Pekin Bible Church at the intersection of Allentown Road and State Route 9 in Pekin.
- The creation of a service agreement with Austin Engineering of Peoria to provide services for culvert repair, replacement and lining this fiscal year. The starting budget is $15,000.
- Submitting requests for federal or other funding for proposed projects to widen Muller Road from East Peoria to Morton and replace the Hopedale Road bridge over Little Mackinaw Creek.
- The purchase of a four-wheel drive flat bed truck and a four-wheel drive service truck, with equipment, for a total of $201,586 from low state bidder Morrow Brothers Ford of Greenfield. The trucks will replace old trucks that have mileage in the six figures.
- Changing the purchasing manager position to accounting analyst following the retirement Friday of the purchasing manager.
- The appointment of Human Resources Director Sue Webster as the authorized agent for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund for Tazewell County.
County board member applauded for 40 Leaders Under 40 designation
Two county board members who made news recently were recognized by Grimm.
Maxwell Schneider of Tremont was named one of the 40 Leaders Under 40 for 2025 by the WTVP public television station. Schneider is a real estate broker for Keller Williams Premier Realty. He formerly was the county's deputy coroner from 2019-24.
Jon Hopkins of Morton is the owner of the Neon Bison bar, which recently moved into a new location at 617 Main St., in downtown Peoria from its former spot at 514 Main St.
