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Tuesday, September 27, 2016
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Social services: How big are the cuts? Agencies talk about how they’ve been able to sustain with fewer dollars By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — For more than a year, human service providers have struggled to communicate damages created by the state’s budget crisis. These organizations — some mandated by the state — are meant to assist people with disabilities, at risk of illness or violence, homeless, as well as institutionalization and loss of life. But despite the stories on why funding is necessary for these helpless citizens, state legislators have continued to slash spending for agencies and delay payments. Under frustration, Illinois Partners for Human Services has gathered financial data to show just how bad the cuts have been to agencies around the state. It recently released an interactive online “heat map” that identifies the trend of state spending reductions from Fiscal Year 2015 to FY ‘16.
The project is called “The Damage is Done: How Illinois is Unravelling Its Human Services.” Local agencies respond to the project Illinois Valley Community Independent Living (IVCIL) is one of the local service providers on the map. According to the data, state funding to IVCIL from FY ‘15 to FY ‘16 decreased by $104,653 or by 46.5 percent. In FY ‘15, IVCIL was contracted to receive $398,846, however only received $225,253. In FY ‘16, they were contracted to get $398,846, but only got $120,600. Lesley Gonigam, associate director at IVCIL, expressed disappointment with signing a contract with the state, only to end up with broken promises and a shortage of money. “The budget impasse doesn’t instill a lot of faith in the government,” she said. “Them not making 100 percent on the contract makes you feel like what is the contract? How faithful can the state be if it’s not living up to their end of the
EMA drill offers practice in a tragedy
bargain?” Another local service provider on the map is Freedom House of Princeton. According to the data, Freedom House’s funding from FY ‘15 to FY ‘16 decreased by $72,754 or 23.5 percent. Michael Zerneck, executive director of Freedom House, said the numbers don’t tell the whole story for his agency. He said it doesn’t show how late the payments were made to the agency and doesn’t show all angles of the cuts made to the Freedom House budget. For example, Freedom House is supported by another agency that relies on state money. That agency, of course, received cuts in state payments, which hurt Freedom House’s funding even more. The Bureau County Senior Center Association (BCSC)
Social services Page 4A
Mark your ballots Who will you see on the ballot in November? By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — Bureau County voters will be at the polls on Nov. 8 to select the candidates of their choice. On a local level, there is only one contested race on the ballot, which is the race for Bureau County Board Seat 12. Incumbent Robert McCook, a Democrat from Cherry, is running against newcomer Jeff Pinter, a Republican from Malden. The 13 other county board candidates are running unopposed for their seats. All candidates running for their districts are incumbents, except District 15. Newcomer Christopher Maynard, a Dem-
ocrat from Walnut will take the seat of his father, Mike Maynard, who did not seek re-election. Incumbents include Dale Anderson, a Republican of Tiskilwa running for District 2; Keith Cain, a Republican of Princeton running for District 4; Marsha Lilley, a Republican of Princeton running for District 5; Ralph Anderson, a Republican of Wyanet running for District 10; John Jacobs, a Republican of LaMoille running for District 11; Robert Albrecht a Republican of Ohio running for District 14; Heather Thacker, a Republican of Ohio running for District 16; Ronald “Tom”
Ballot Page 2A
What does your child know? By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Becky Kramer
Emergency medical services personnel practice their skills during the Bureau County Emergency Management Agency drill on Saturday. The exercise focused on a mock, full-scale active shooter situation. The event, which encompassed several agencies in the area, was held at the old Leepertown School in Bureau. See more photos on Page 2A.
Year 170 No. 116 Two Sections - 28 Pages
(815) 915-8748 © Bureau County Republican
PRINCETON — Two Bureau County children earned the opportunity to shop with a cop for a new bike and helmet Wednesday evening. Eli Coomer of Princeton and Emma Slingsby of Ladd were the winners of BuEComm’s (Bureau Emergency Communications) 911 contest, which is done every year at the Bureau County Fair. Young children who know their phone number and address get entered into a drawing for a new bike and helmet. This year’s contest rules changed just a bit, due to the low number of children under the age of 8 last year who
Bikes Page 3A
Economical lab services and diagnostic testing, including digital x-rays, are also offered on-site. These services are available to anyone, regardless of your doctor’s practice or hospital affiliation.
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