Despite a serious financial crunch that has caused Kane County government officials to seek belt-tightening measures, the County Board agreed Tuesday to approve Sheriff John Randall`s request to hire nine deputies for duty at the chronically overcrowded Kane County Jail.
After a spirited debate, the board voted 20-4 at its monthly meeting to allow Randall to boost his force of deputies to 125.
The move will allow a 60-bed jail wing, which had been open only on weekends under the supervision of personnel working overtime, to be open full- time. It comes just two months after the board had denied Randall`s request for additional deputies because of budget constraints.
The additional deputies are expected to cost the financially-strapped county about $250,000 a year, but the county will save about $156,000 in overtime costs, and has another $95,000 on hand from a recently paid off bond issue.
However, board members who opposed the additional hires wondered where the cash will come from in the future.
”In December, this board made the decision not to hire, and now we stick our hand in the magic hat and finance nine deputies,” said board member Paul Greviskes (D-Aurora). ”Now any time we find money, we have to spend it. We should hold off hiring until the budget situation and the economy pick up.”
The county is expecting a $350,000 revenue shortfall this year and board Chairman Warren Kammerer earlier asked for a hiring moratorium for all nonessential personnel in an effort to cut costs.
Nevertheless, Kammerer said Tuesday, ”Yes, we have a serious problem, yes, we have to fund it next year and yes, we have a shortfall. We will probably have to have more drastic action this year, but we have a facility that can help alleviate some of the crowding and now we have funding we didn`t have.”
In other action, the County Board overwhelmingly agreed to take part in a joint purchase of property near Settler`s Hill landfill in Geneva.
Under terms of the purchase agreement, the county will pay $100,000 of the $350,000 cost to the current owners, Edward and Marge Heischberg.
The Forest Preserve Commission agreed at its meeting earlier Tuesday to pay $50,000, and the remainder of the cost will be divided between Waste Management Inc., operator of the landfill, and the Chicago & North Western Transportation Co.
The property, south of a C&NW railroad crossing near Sandholm Street in Geneva, includes four small apartment buildings housing 21 tenants that will be torn down.
The property will then become part of the landfill and ultimately will be turned over to the forest preserve.
