May 22, 2021
Illinois

Adams County Board discusses how to spend $12.7 million in pandemic relief money

by KHQA Staff | Tuesday, May 11th 2021 | khqa.com

QUINCY, Ill. (KHQA) – The Adams County Board has a new member, as the County starts to decide how it will spend some of the pandemic relief money it will get from the federal government.

According to WTAD, the County Board approved the appointment of Travis Cooley to represent the Fourth District on Tuesday night.

He takes the place of former County State’s Attorney Barney Bier, who resigned after the April meeting.

That resignation was submitted after the board voted to recommend that he be removed from his committee assignments, including the chairmanship of the Legislative and Judicial Committee.

Board Chair Kent Snider said Cooley, the Senior Vice President of Liberty Bank, was the only candidate selected by County Republicans.

“The Republican Party sent him to us,” Snider said. “They all met and honestly, he was the only candidate, but a great guy.”

Cooley will serve the remainder of Bier’s term until next November.

The board voted to accept just over $6.3 million from the American Recovery Plan legislation passed by Congress.

County Finance Chairman Bret Austin says that the County will get just over $12. 7 million over the next two years, with a 2024 deadline to spend it.

He told the Board that County department heads have already submitted their wish lists.

Austin said after the meeting that there are numerous ways the County could spend the money.

“We wanted to hear from all the department heads, county board members, there are some discussions ongoing with some joint city council projects that could be really beneficial for the area, but none of that is decided, we just had some initial meetings,” said Austin.

The County Board also approved a resolution telling Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly that they’re opposed to Senate Bill 1602. That bill would override a county board’s ability to create local ordinances towards wind farms, including zoning.

Adams County doesn’t have any county-wide zoning ordinances.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/05/22/adams-county-board-discusses-how-to-spend-12-7-million-in-pandemic-relief-money/