PIKE COUNTY FACES $45,000 IMRF BILL OVER WAGE REPORTING DISCREPANCIES

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Pike County is facing an unexpected bill of approximately $45,000 after discrepancies were discovered between county payroll records and wages reported to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

IMRF uses wages reported by local governments to determine the retirement contributions owed by both the employer and its employees. The reported discrepancies involve payroll dating back to 2020 and 2021, along with additional records from 2023 and 2024.

Information discussed by county officials indicated that approximately $94,000 in compensation was paid to one employee, while only about $73,000 was reported to IMRF. The employee connected to the adjustment has since retired.

The Pike County Clerk’s office addressed concerns about payroll accuracy during an August Finance Committee meeting. The office maintained that the county’s payroll records were accurate and that its software thoroughly tracks employee wages, raises, overtime and compensatory time.

The Clerk’s office indicated that the discrepancy involved the county’s vouchering process rather than the underlying payroll records.

The unexpected bill raises questions about how the incorrect wage amounts were submitted, which county office was responsible for reviewing the information and why the discrepancies were not discovered during audits covering some of the affected years.

County officials must now determine the full extent of the reporting problem, whether additional employees or payroll periods are affected and how the approximately $45,000 obligation will be paid.