By: Diane Benjamin
If you love acronyms. this meeting was for you!
Start with BHCC – Behavioral Health Coordinating Council. This is the independent group that is not subject to FOIA or the Open Meetings Act. See their website here: https://www.mcleanbhcc.com/#members
BHCC is the “experts” who determine the best use of the sales tax dollars allocated to mental health. Sheila Montney is on this Council just to listens to them, she doesn’t make recommendations concerning how the sales tax dollars are spent.
She is also on the FAC Council representing Bloomington. FAC is the acronym for Mental Health and Public Safety Fund Advisory Council. The Council makes the formal requests to the County Board after BHCC creates the plan.
Montney doesn’t represent the Council, she represents the City. Several Council members still don’t understand she doesn’t make spending decisions or authorize payments to anyone. She is strictly an advisor.
From the County website:
The purpose of the FAC is to provide formal recommendations to the McLean County Board for the budgeting and allocation of funds available though the County Mental Health and Public Safety Fund for:
- County government criminal justice services related to detention facility operations for behavioral health services
- Community behavioral health initiatives, services and programs consistent with the McLean County Mental Health Action Plan
CJCC stands for Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. I believe Michael Mosley represents Bloomington on this Council but it’s hard to say since very little information is on the County website. https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/168/Criminal-Justice-Coordinating-Council
Agendas are posted but not minutes. Alderman Mosley is going to ask about the minutes at the next meeting. The Executive Committee members are listed, nobody else.
The very long discussion consisted of the attack dogs trying to get information Sheila Montney doesn’t have. The dogs were Abby Scott and Molly Ward. Montney consistently told them to ask the County since they are in charge of approving spending. Both accused her of not answering their questions. She frequently mentioned things haven’t happened therefore there is nothing to share.
The Sales Tax dollars allocated to mental health will be audited. That hasn’t happened yet, I don’t think a firm to do the audit has been chosen yet but when they are the prediction is 3 months to complete.
Sheila gave a presentation to start the conversation. Council Discussion starts at 59:50. Abby Scott almost immediately went on the attack wanting to know specifics. If plans are being made at BHCC meetings Sheila isn’t allowed to disclose them. FAC would provide public information is they had any. It appears a lot of spending is on hold until the audit is completed. I don’t have specifics but a lot of the sales tax goes to payoff the jail expansion and mental health services there. The other obvious place is to The Bridge constructed for homeless housing.
Scott claimed the County Board had changed some policy, if that is true Montney wasn’t told. It’s interesting that Abby Scott claimed she doesn’t get information from her husband, Corey Beirne, who is on the County Board. But evidently he did tell her about policy change.
Montney frequently referred to the Intergovernmental Agreement and her responsibility to make sure all plans comply with the terms. She did mention that agreement had many shortcomings, maybe the audit will point out what changes need to be made to it. Scott thought her questions weren’t adequately answered.
Molly Ward was next at 1:06:50. It was over her head that Montney doesn’t make recommendations. Of course Ward didn’t like her answer. Both accused Montney of not answering questions.
Alderman Jenna Kearns was more reasonable at 1:14:45. She requested that Montney share information she is allowed to share. Montney’s response was FAC meeting videos are posted on line and are open to attendance by the public.
Molly Ward was back on the attack starting at 1:23:00. She wanted to know who monitored spending and evaluated the results. Former alderman Donna Boelen spoke during Public Comment (15:10) and again during the meeting (1:33:30). Boelen stated there is a person in place to monitor results.
Just hit PLAY below to here my personal favorite – Abby Scott wanted all budgeted money spent. She obviously doesn’t care on what, just get every penny out the door.
The lesson from this meeting is: Elect activists with an agenda you get their agenda. Of course Abby Scott pretended to be normal before she was elected and didn’t say what her agenda was going to be. Thanks Ward 9. Understand this yet?
Thank goodness for Sheila Montney! How she is able to keep her cool when unhinged council member Abby Bierne-Scott misrepresents Mrs. Montney’s remarks and responsibilities, I don’t know. A true professional.
Expecting Corey Bierne-Scott to also lose his cool and attack Mrs. Montney’s character again on Facebook. Will be watching.
Their quest for power by insulting other council members is becoming more and more obvious.
Here is what needs to happen: End the sales tax for this. Bloomington can just vote to stop charging and collecting the tax in the city limits. Just starve the BHCC, FAC, alphabet soup agency of its funding.
The whole idea is stupid anyways: the two cities collect the lions share of the sales tax funds in the county, but then have zero control over how the county spends the money. That is perverse and counter logical. Bloomington and Normal should tax and spend.
If for some silly technical reason, Bloomington cant just vote the tax away within city limits, they can and should continue to not transfer the funds to the country and just use the money to lower property taxes in town. Allocate it towards the fire and policy department and then lower the levy that would otherwise be used to find Bloomington public safety. If the county won’t spend the money on public safety, Bloomington will. End of story.
If the county and normal throw a fit, what are they going to do? Bloomington collects the money. It’s in their bank account. Are they going to send the Sheriff in to battle it out with the Bloomington Police Chief? Of course not. There are no consequences to just stop collection or stop the transfers to the county (Bloomington is literally doing this right now).
Government can just do things. It has the tax, spend, and police powers. And most are to chicken shit to exercise that power for good.
Abby & Mollie are toxic.
Mollie is looking for funding of her Gun Violence commission recommendations.
This is what the worst of politicians look like.