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Tuesday, September 15, 2015
SERVING DIXON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1851
JURY DUTY
New law hurts counties’ budgets Pay bumped from as little as $4 a day to $25 for first, $50 for additional days BY KATHLEEN A. SCHULTZ AND KEVIN CRAVER kschultz@saukvalley.com, kcraver@shawmedia.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5535 @KathleenSchul10
A new law that more than doubled what Illinois jurors are paid is starting to affect county budgets in the Sauk Valley and across the state.
The new law requires counties to pay jurors $25 for the first day of service and $50 for each additional day. Counties previously were allowed to pay jurors as little as $4 a day, causing Illinois to rank near the bottom of U.S. states when it comes to state-set rates. Then-Democratic Gov. Pat
Quinn signed the measure in December. Bill sponsors said it was aimed at properly compensating jurors because state law doesn’t require employers to pay wages during jury duty. The McHenry County Board will consider today whether it should transfer $100,000 to replenish the fund it uses to
PLAYGROUND DEDICATION, PICNIC SUNDAY IN STERLING
pay jurors. The fund is almost empty, and there are more than 2 months still left in the county’s 2015 fiscal year, with at least three major jury cases expected to be heard during that time, The Northwest Herald of Crystal Lake reported. Lee County faces the same problem on a smaller scale.
Circuit Clerk Denise McCaffrey-Ehrmann said her office budgets for four trials a year, but already has spent most of the $11,000 it sets aside to pay jurors. “We’re right at the edge,” she said, with maybe one more weeklong trial ahead. JURY DUTY CONTINUED ON A4
DIXON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Board will vote on deficit budget $600K-plus shortfall will be offset with money from fund balance BY JERMAINE PIGEE jpigee@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5525 @JPigee84
DIXON – The school board is set to approve next year’s budget Wednesday with a $640,000 deficit in the education fund. The $19.6 million education fund pays for teacher salaries, educational programs, and other expenses. The district will use money from its fund balance, which is similar to a cash reserve, to offset the deficit. That will leave slightly more than $1 million in the fund balance, which had as much as $4.2 million in fiscal year 2012. “We have carried the fund balance over from year to year,” said Dave Blackburn, the district’s business manager. “We have been cut-
Photos by Michael Krabbenhoeft/ mkrabbenhoeft@saukvalley.com
Maggie Nelson (above), 3, of Sterling walks toward one of the slides, and her brother, Noah (right), 6, scales down the climbing wall Monday afternoon at the new community playground behind St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1701 16th Ave., Sterling. An outdoor worship service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, followed by a dedication ceremony for the playground at 11:15 a.m. A picnic and fun – including pumpkin-painting and a bounce house – will follow the dedication.
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ting down the reserves since 2012. We can’t do it forever.” Declining revenue from the state and local property taxes is the main reason for the budget deficit, he said. Officials say the state has done very little to help struggling school districts, which are faced with the challenge of trying to educate students with dwindling resources. BUDGET CONTINUED ON A4
Development director search put on hold Longtime official will help finish E-Zone application
MORRISON – Whiteside County has decided to delay the hiring of an economic development director. Longtime director Betty Steinert retired effective July 1, but decided to stay on parttime to work on the retention application for the county’s Betty Steinert enterprise zone. The county economic development director is also the enterprise zone administrator. TODAY’S EDITION:
Dave Blackburn, Dixon Public School District’s business manager
WHITESIDE COUNTY
BY PAM EGGEMEIER peggemeier@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5570 @pam_eggemeier
$1.00
‘‘ ’’ We have been cutting down the reserves since 2012. We can’t do it forever.
INDEX
ABBY ................... A7 BUSINESS ........... A9 COMICS ............... A8
CROSSWORD....B10 LIFESTYLE ........... A7 LOTTERY ............. A2
NATION/WORLD .. A4 OBITUARIES ........ A4 OPINION .............. A6
Illinois E-Zones For more information about the state’s enterprise zone program, visit shawurl.com/24nr. County Administrator Joel Horn said Steinert has agreed to work 2 days a week until she meets the 600hour annual limit allowed by the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. “She will continue to run the department as she has in the past until we hire someone,” Horn said Monday. The uncertainty created by the state budget stalemate factored into the county’s decision to delay hiring Steinert’s successor, he said. The board is looking to move ahead with the process in 6 months. DIRECTOR CONTINUED ON A5
Today’s weather High 82. Low 58. More on A3.
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