Tazewell County has a new interim county administrator, with Mindy Darcy being promoted from assistant county administrator and finance director.
The Tazewell County Board approved Darcy's promotion during its regular meeting Wednesday. She replaces outgoing county administrator Mike Deluhery, whose resignation takes effect at the end of August.
Darcy was a county board member from 2018-22 before she stepped down and was appointed to the new position of assistant county administrator/finance director.
Board chairman Brett Grimm and long-time board member Russ Crawford praised Darcy, who will oversee the county's daily operations in her new role.
"Mindy is smart and extremely capable," said Grimm. "Put that together with her experience as a board member as well as assistant county administrator, and you have a person who is a huge win for us as we enter budget season, and helping oversee the justice center annex and animal control building projects."
Crawford said Darcy "has come a long way" since she began serving on the board, picking up financial and human resources experience in her assistant county administrator job.
"I'm very glad she's part of the county's leadership team," he said.
Grimm said a search committee will be formed to find a new permanent county administrator.
Deluhery was hired as county administrator in 2022, replacing Wendy Ferrill. Darcy was hired for the assistant administrator/finance director job a few months later.
Deluhery came to Tazewell County after serving in Peoria County government for 17 years as chief deputy county clerk, director of elections and finance, and chief deputy auditor/purchasing manager.
In a related action, the county board gave Darcy and the future county administrator the authority to approve change orders of up to $30,000 during the upcoming construction of the Tazewell County Justice Center Annex.
Change orders of between $30,001 and $100,000 must be approved by the board's property committee, and change orders of more than $100,000 must be approved by the county board.
Darcy and the future administrator can approve a change order expected to exceed $30,000 if total expenses are limited to $30,000 before property committee or board approval.
The property committee will receive a monthly report from Darcy and the future administrator listing the change orders.
Grimm assured board members that they will receive plenty of communication about the project, and the process will be transparent.
"After all, this is the largest project in county history," he said, referring to its nearly $44 million price tag.
Salary increases on hold
Annual salary increases of 3% over four years starting in 2026 for Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman and Treasurer Hannah Clark were not approved by the board.
Instead, they were sent back to the county's human resources committee for further discussion. The committee had recommended board approval for the raises.
Ackerman's salary is currently $101,069; with 3% raises in each of the next four years, his salary in 2029 would be $113,754. Clark's current salary of $99,198 would move to $111,649 in 2029 with 3% raises in each of the next four years.
It wasn't made clear what the human resources committee needed to further discuss regarding the raises. Committee and board member Nancy Proehl provided the only clue.
"There was very little discussion about the salary increases during our committee meeting, but a lot of discussion afterward," she said.
Committee and board member Eric Stahl cast the lone no vote at the board meeting on returning the salary increases to the committee, questioning why that was needed.
Board vice chairman Michael Harris, the committee chair, made the motions to return the increases to the committee.
EMA sign board to be sold
In other action:
• The board authorized the county's Emergency Management Agency to sell a sign board that hasn't been used in more than 10 years. The sign board was purchased with funds from a grant the county received in the afternoon of the 2013 tornado that caused damage in Washington, East Peoria and Pekin.
• The board gave the go-ahead to hold an annual health fair for full-time, part-time and retired county employees that's been offered since 2008. There's no cost to health fair participants except for optional testing. Thrive Wellness will be paid about $20,000 to put on the health fair, will be held throughout October.
• The board supported adding portions of Creve Coeur and Metamora to the Northern Tazewell Enterprise Zone, which currently includes portions of Tazewell County, Woodford County, East Peoria, Washington and Germantown Hills. The enterprise zone was certified by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity [DCEO] in 2015. The certification will expire in 2030.
• The board approved eight reappointments for three-year terms: Jeff Roth of Morton to the Morton Area Farmers Fire Protection District Board; Darel Knaak to the Cincinnati Drainage and Levee District Board; Brian Frank of Manito to the Mackinaw River Levee & Drainage District No. 1 Board; Terry Runyon of Green Valley to the Green Valley Fire Protection District Board; Mark Reyrich of Green Valley to the Union Drainage District No. 1 Board; Gene Nafziger of Minier to the West Fork Drainage District Board; J.D. Proehl of Manito to the Hickory Grove Drainage and Levee District Board; and Mark Berg of Manito to the Spring Lake Drainage District Board. Also, Dr. Kacey Zobrist was appointed to the Board of Health for a one-year term.
