Pike County leaders say the county has finally been removed from the State of Illinois’ “no-pay list,” a major development in a long-running financial crisis.
According to River County News reporting on December 2, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity lifted the restriction after local lawmakers and county officials met with state agencies on October 27. That move restores the county’s ability to pursue state grant funding— including $450,000 in previously frozen DCEO infrastructure grants.
County Board Chair Reta Hoskin told the paper the county has submitted its FY21 audit, and auditors are close to completing FY22, with FY23 already underway. She says DCEO officials had been holding funds until audits were current. The Pike County Health Department has also been cleared from a DHS “no-pay” list.
But despite the progress, Pike County remains in deep financial trouble.
Muddy River News reported last week that the county faces an $880,328 budget shortfall, prompting difficult cuts and a rare no-confidence vote against Board Chair Hoskin. That report follows months of public warnings from county officials. In repeated stories from KHQA, County Clerk Natalie Roseberry and Treasurer Scott Syrcle said the county “does not have money,” citing outdated financial software, payroll problems, and delayed property-tax distributions that left some accounts nearly empty. Roseberry and Syrcle have also pointed fingers at each other about the handling of the county’s finances through their management of different duties in the county’s financial software.
Audit delays have strained relationships inside county government for years. The Jacksonville Journal-Courier reported that the backlog previously stretched as far as five years, increasing tensions between the clerk, treasurer, and the county board.
Public frustration is also growing. A Muddy River News letter to the editor by Tammi Zumwalt, Pike County Democrat County Chairman, published Tuesday criticized what she called “dysfunction” and urged county leaders to restore transparency and trust no matter what party affiliation. Zumwalt has urged more of the Pike County community to get involved in the county’s business no matter the party affiliation, as well.
While the county is now eligible for some state funds again, officials caution that most federal grants still require full, current audits, meaning Pike County will need to finish the audits for FY22 and FY23 quickly to rebuild financial stability.