911, highway department face funding uncertainty

Updates on uncertain financial situations facing the county’s 911 emergency communications system and highway department were shared at last week’s regular meeting of the Union County Board of Commissioners.

The meeting was Friday morning, June 23, at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

Union County 911 coordinator Crystal Gurley reported that the uncertainty facing the system is related to state legislation which is pending in Springfield. 

The State of Illinois is rapidly approaching the end of its fiscal year on June 30. As of Tuesday morning, an agreement had not been reached on a new state budget.

If there is no action by June 30, 911 could be without funding.

“We really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Gurley said on Friday.

Gurley said that the county’s 911 system currently has enough funding in reserve to operate for about six to eight months.

The uncertainty surrounding the state budget situation also is having an impact on the Union County Highway Department.

Highway department engineer Kevin Grammer said he was taking a wait-and-see approach to the budget situation.

Grammer said that it now also appears unlikely that the county will receive federal assistance to help pay for the costs of damage caused by recent flooding in the region.