A revised draft of a Kane County resolution to support reform in Springfield passed the Executive Committee unanimously Wednesday (May 6, 2015), setting the stage for a full Kane County Board vote on May 12.

Kane County Board Chairman Chris Lauzen set the tone and direction for Wednesday’s discussion by crediting County Board members Deborah Allan and Ron Ford, both Democrats, with language revisions and editing that helped gain the unanimous recommendation.

“We have very diverse opinions,” Lauzen said. “Our purpose today is to find common ground where we can generate a consensus. Not everyone can agree on all the pieces, but what we’ve tried to do is see where the common ground is.”

The general text of the resolution is included below, with the understanding that further revisions were recommended during discussion at Wednesday’s committee meeting. Among the suggestions Wednesday were to add specific examples of state legislation Kane County supports as well as an ending, summary resolution.

During Wednesday’s discussion, board members agreed to eliminate a paragraph that addressed the topic of Medicaid eligibility. Board member Brian Pollock described the issue as “super complicated,” and board members on both sides of the aisle agreed to remove the language.

Lauzen described Allan as “Kane County’s own Annie Oakley, riding to the rescue,” after she volunteered to make changes and incorporate suggestions board members made during the April 28 Committee of the Whole meeting.

At Wednesday’s Executive Committee meeting, Allan underlined board members’ ability to work together and hinted that state government might take a page from Kane County’s book.

“I have served on this board for both parties, and I have never experienced partisanship here,” Allan said. “We represent everyone. We look at issues and try to solve them. We look at problems and try to solve them. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. Maybe there are lessons to be learned here.”

The County Board is comprised of 13 Republicans and 11 Democrats, and committee members from each political party said they made compromises to come to an agreement. District 18 Board member Drew Frasz, a Republican, said he would have preferred the resolution include language supporting lawsuit reform, an “empowerment zone” and several other ideas that are part of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Illinois Turnaround initiative.

“It’s been said that successful negotiation is when both parties are not totally happy,” Frasz said. “But I will vote in favor of this resolution, because this compromise does say Kane County is in support of reform.”

• Important Editor’s Note: The following is a draft of the Kane County Resolution to Support Reform in Springfield, as discussed and revised at Wednesday’s Executive Committee meeting. Several word changes have yet to be applied, and additional revisions were discussed Wednesday, including but not limited to adding specific examples of state legislation that Kane County supports as well as an ending summary paragraph.
  

WHEREAS, state of Illinois leadership faces critical challenges dealing with the financial burdens of Illinois and a nationwide lack of confidence in the credit markets regarding Illinois, and looks to all citizens and organizations and government units for expertise and goodwill, seeking solutions to shape the future we share; and

WHEREAS, we may not agree on everything, all the time, with everyone, we nonetheless engage in the process, participate, and listen closely to each other; and

WHEREAS, we seek to emphasize the “positive” and areas where we agree, rather than to dwell on the “negative” and areas where there are disagreement and a need for greater understanding; and

WHEREAS, the County of Kane by its elected Chairman, Countywide Officers, County Board, and 1,250 staff are charged with providing services to the 525,000 citizens whom we represent by means of fair and respectful treatment, abiding by its annual budget, and best practices and transparent management; and

WHEREAS, said services are provided by Kane County’s Health, Transportation, Development, Community Reinvestment, Water & Environmental Resources, Finance, Information Technologies, and Veterans Affairs Departments, its Court system and diversionary treatments, its Treasurer, County Clerk, Supervisor of Assessments, Recorder, Superintendent of the Regional Office of Education, and Coroner working together to build the County budget and conduct its daily business; and

WHEREAS, the Kane County Judiciary, Circuit Clerk, State’s Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, Court Services, and County Board have researched with its Information Technologies Department and purchased a multimillion-dollar technology solution to bring all aspects of Court management into one protocol, and are presently deploying said solution for the most accurate, fair, ethical, efficient, and cost-effective treatment of all citizens within the civil and criminal Kane County Courts; and

WHEREAS, the Kane County Health Department is nationally accredited and has formed partnerships not only with the County’s hospitals and clinicians, and mental health and social agencies, but also with transportation and planning and agriculture and community wellness entities for organizing health initiatives and the betterment of all Kane County residents; and

WHEREAS, with regard to disputed issues, Kane County has found it has been most successful when affected parties are identified and then vested as partners with each gaining something and each giving up something and all participants credited with successfully negotiating a solution, as in our regular salary and benefits discussion with our union and nonunion personnel;

BE IT RESOLVED that within pension reform, there needs to be protection for current retirees which keeps the promise for work already done. The program for the current and future employees should be created by the parties involved, recognizing that it must be sustainable by both employees and taxpayers and fully funded according to actuarial standards.

BE IT RESOLVED, there needs to be an agency-by-agency review of spending cuts and consolidation, perhaps including the re-combination of the Comptroller and Treasurer’s Offices, which will save the State literally millions.

BE IT RESOLVED, Income Tax, the “assessment” on work and savings (both are activities that we all encourage), should be kept low and competitive.

BE IT RESOLVED, only after spending cuts and consolidations are in place, Sales Tax should be reformed and modernized, with perhaps a slightly slower rate, but a reasonable broader base.

BE IT RESOLVED, we agree that we ought to have a truly balanced budget, based on accurate accrual accounting, without the carry-forward of unpaid past due bills, with an effective constitutional provision to enforce it.

BE IT RESOLVED, we support the legislative tenets agreed to by Cook and the Collar Counties regarding legislation granting additional permissive authorities for counties.

BE IT RESOLVED, we support, as above, legislation allowing counties to expand non-property-tax revenue sources.

BE IT RESOLVED, we oppose, as above, unfunded mandates imposed by the state government.

BE IT RESOLVED, we oppose, as above, legislation that would reduce the existing authority of county government.

BE IT RESOLVED, we oppose, as above, proposals that seek to merge underfunded pension systems with fully funded pension systems.

BE IT RESOLVED, we oppose, as above, individual proposals that erode existing revenue that are not part of a larger proposal approved by Cook and the Collar Counties.

Passed by the Kane County Board on May 12, 2015.