This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly
News and Views
e-newsletter includes details about the Local CURES program, highlights a bill signed into law by the Governor, announces Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) local planning grant awards, alerts local governments about a public works project hiring mandate, advertises an upcoming NACo webinar opportunity, asks county officials to follow us on social media, spotlights ISACo corporate partner AT&T and invites counties to join ISACo.
COUNTIES COUNT!
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Local CURES Program Funding Plan Released
On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) released information about Local CURES program distributions. This is the program by which the state will distribute federal CARES Act funds to the 97 counties and local governments within those counties that did not receive direct funds from the U.S. Treasury Department earlier this year.
DCEO issued a press release about the Local CURES program (
available via this link
). ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy is quoted in the release.
The plan, which must be adopted by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) through an emergency rulemaking, is summarized in a link below. There are also links to documents with the proposed distribution amounts for eligible local governments.
Information about the plan is available below:
- The Local CURE Program: Summary and Timeline (linked here)
- Per Capita Formula Allotments for Counties and Municipalities (linked here)
- Per Capita and Low-Income Population Distributions to Certified Local Public Health Departments (linked here)
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Governor Takes Bill Action
The following bill was signed into law on Tuesday, June 30, 2020:
SB 516 (P.A. 101-0648 -
linked here
)
extends the time that casino operators have to pay the reconciliation fee from 2 to 6 years. The bill also reduces the tax rates for the Chicago casino and makes a technical fix for the Danville casino. Due to the pandemic, the bill moves the due date for fees associated with gaming and sports betting license and positions from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021. Finally, the bill makes technical fixes to ensure video gaming can occur at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
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IDOT Announces Local Planning Grant Awards
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced the award of 52 grants totaling more than $38 million to support the planning efforts of long-range transportation projects across the state. New criteria for 2020 provides funding to create economic opportunity and enhance quality of life in disadvantaged communities.
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Unemployment Rate Triggers Law for Public Works Project Hiring
Due to the high unemployment rate caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the
Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act
became effective on July 1, 2020. The state law requires the workforce on all public works projects to be comprised of a minimum of 90% Illinois residents.
The text of the law (P.A. 96-929 - enacted in 2010) is
available via this link.
While the law has been in place for several years, it is triggered by the current circumstances of high unemployment.
The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) administers the
Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act
, which was enacted to alleviate unemployment in Illinois by ensuring that most workers on public works projects live in the state. The requirement to employ 90 percent Illinois workers applies to all labor on public works projects or improvements, including projects involving the clean-up and on-site disposal of hazardous waste.
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Upcoming NACo Webinar
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has scheduled the following upcoming webinar:
Reaching and Interacting with Residents During COVID-19
(Thursday, July 9, 2020 from 1 pm – 2 pm CST)
In a time when traditional resident engagement has been disrupted, counties have relied on virtual town halls to provide updates and accurate information. Learn how counties are using Access Live technology to connect with residents virtually and invite expert hosts to share reliable data while answering pertinent questions. Special guests, Michelle Halstead (Arapahoe County, CO) and Wendy Holmes, (Douglas County, CO) will join the webinar to speak about their experience with Access Live and how these events helped them build public trust and receive measurable data.
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Follow ISACo on Social Media
A great way to stay current on issues affecting or of interest to counties is by following ISACo on social media. Please follow our Facebook page and Twitter feed and join the conversation!
@Isacoil
@IsacoTweets
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with AT&T.
AT&T Inc. is a modern media company whose mission is to inspire human progress through the power of communication and entertainment.
The company brings together premium video content, a large base of direct-to-consumer relationships, high-speed networks optimized for video and advertising technology to lead the next revolution in technology, media and telecommunications.
AT&T has recorded 35 consecutive years of quarterly dividend growth and is a Fortune 10 company.
Click on this link
to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
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The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!
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Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. Thank you for your consideration.
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News and Views
is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.
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