More reasons to be unhappy with the Legislature ....

[ColesCountyDem]

Franklin stops funding detention center

By Becky Malkovich / The Southern | Posted: Thursday, May 27, 2010 3:00 am | 1 Comment



BENTON - The Franklin County Board voted to stop funding the juvenile detention center effective July 1.

The action, taken at a Tuesday meeting, was necessary because of a cash flow problem created by late and/or incomplete state payments, board chairman Randall Crocker said.

The county, which owns the building that houses the center, pays all costs associated with its operations. Income sources include money collected from counties that send juveniles to the facility for detention and funding from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, which provides reimbursement of detention center salaries, Treasurer John Gulley said.

The county was promised 100 percent reimbursement for the salaries of the 30-plus employees of the center but is averaging only about 65 percent from the state. Add in the lateness of state payments - the last one was received in August - and a serious cash flow problem is the result, Crocker said.

If the state lived up to its bargain, he said, the detention center would break even or make money, but "Who knows when that is going to happen? We can't endanger our ability to pay our other employees and we've borrowed all we can borrow. We have to stop the bleeding."

Juvenile detention officials could not comment on the matter and a message left for the administrative office of the courts was not returned.

State Sen. Gary Forby, who has secured state funding for the facility in the past to make up for the reimbursement shortfall, said he hopes to be able to help again.

"It's a fight every year, and it's getting harder every year," he said. "But I would hate to see it close down because they are helping kids there. Without it, there would be no place for the kids to go but back on the streets."

30-plus people in high-wage, high-benefit jobs now on unemployment-- check. Vendors losing a big customer, thereby hurting THEIR bottom line-- check. Taxpayers screwed for interest on operating loans made to date-- check.

Hello, Springpatch! Is anyone listening?

:evilfrown: :wtf: :mad: