PIKE COUNTY CLERK DELAYS ENTRY OF APPROVED BUDGET TRANSFERS

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — The Pike County Board has approved transfers between line items in the County Clerk’s budget, but outgoing Pike County Clerk Natalie Roseberry has indicated that the changes will not yet be entered into the county’s financial system.

The transfers do not change the total amount appropriated to the Clerk’s Office. They move personnel expenses previously listed under an election-related line item into the portion of the budget where payroll expenses are recorded.

Because the transfers affect personnel appropriations, the board followed the requirements of 55 ILCS 5/6-1003. The Illinois statute allows such transfers at any County Board meeting when they receive approval from two-thirds of the board’s entire membership.

Board members discussed the statutory requirement before conducting a roll-call vote. The motion received the six affirmative votes required for approval.

County officials subsequently received an email from Roseberry stating that the approved amendments would not be entered into the financial system until all budget amendments for the year had been approved. The Clerk’s Office reportedly intends to enter all the amendments at the same time and indicated that the delay should not affect the previously approved actions because the changes are administrative.

Questions have since been raised about why the approved transfers have not been entered following the board’s vote.

Pike County Zombie Control reported that it submitted a Freedom of Information Act request on September 16 seeking a copy of Roseberry’s email. The group said the Pike County State’s Attorney’s Office notified it on September 17 that the county would take an additional five business days to respond.

Illinois law permits a public body to extend its initial FOIA response period by up to five business days under certain circumstances. The extension could delay the email’s release until after the County Board’s next scheduled meeting.

RiverNewsLive will update this report when the requested email or additional information becomes available.