By: Diane Benjamin

Evidently the media wasn’t listening to public comment at the 7/14/25 County Executive Board meeting.

Former Board member Susan Schafer was heavily involved with the mental health funding and spending. She spoke about the expense involved implementing EGIS. It is some replacement 911 system that is going to cost $20 million over 10 years and $30-35 million over 20 years.

Susan goes on to explain the County had $6 million in ARPA funds that needed to be spent first or they would lose it. That is why money has been piling up.

In other words, the County had ARPA funds and could have temporarily suspended the Sales Tax but didn’t. Now a secret group that can’t be FOID’d discusses spending it.

Susan’s whole comment is worth listening to, it starts at 14:00. She accuses Bloomington of creating their own structural deficit by keeping the levy flat and Normal of wanting an overpass that came in way over budget.

Structural deficits are created by spending more than is taken in. Spending cuts are always evil to government. Every dime local governments take makes the population poorer. Taxes never create prosperity, Illinois loves to try anyway.

Of course, if Bloomington and Normal quit giving part of the Sales Tax increase to the County it won’t be refunded to citizens. It will be added to the bank accounts of both.

Hit play to hear where she mentions the ARPA money: