Beiser, Alton mayor’s office, others watch closely for next steps
Problems continue to brew in Springfield in regard to the 2015-2016 state budget.
Lisa Madigan, the Illinois attorney general, filed an appeal Monday with the Illinois Supreme Court to filter through two court orders about whether state employees can be paid during the budget impasse.
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The legislature, controlled by the Democratic party, and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner have yet to agree on a spending plan for the fiscal year, which began July 1.
Illinois Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton, said the legislature has continued to meet throughout the summer to negotiate a balanced budget for fiscal year 2016.
“I have been taking steps to help resolve the budget issues, and I have been willing to make compromises,” he said. “ My largest concerns are the devastating impact that cutting essential services will have on people that need these services, and the burden that will be put onto middle class families. “
Dan Herkert, chief of staff for the City of Alton, said the city continues to monitor the situation in Springfield and hopes the governor and legislature will be able to find common ground to pass and implement a reasonable budget for the State of Illinois.
“We have been told by the Illinois Municipal League (IML) that funds such as Motor Fuel Tax (MFT), sales taxes, and income taxes will still be disbursed by the Department of Revenue even without a state budget,” he said. “IML has cautioned us that some of these funds could be delayed in July, but confirmation of any such delay has not been communicated by the State of Illinois at this point.”
Cathy Contarino is executive director of IMPACT CIL. IMPACT is a non-profit organization that provides independent living services to individuals with disabilities residing in a six-county area.
At a recent press event, Contarino explained what IMPACT does and its reliance on state funding.
“IMPACT is a non-profit organization that provides independent living services to individuals with disabilities residing in a six county area,” she said. “We provided the tools necessary for individuals to live in the community, ultimately saving the state money.
“Through direct services and information and referral, IMPACT CIL serves 2000 individuals per year. We are a small community-based organization with a staff of 18 and a budget under $900,000. In 2009 we had a budget of over $1,000,000.00 and since then have been slowly receiving decreases in state contracts.
“Jobs are at risk, as are the lives of recipients of services,” she said because of the budget standoff. “Do we lay off staff? What happens to those who rely on the services we provide?”
Contarino continued: “We have payroll to meet, health insurance, workers comp and unemployment taxes, utilities and many operational expenses to pay,” she said. “We are all regulated and are held highly accountable for the funding we receive. Collectively, we provide tens of thousands of jobs in Illinois. And the people in those jobs provide services that give hope and opportunity to citizens in need.”
“With these facts in mind, we call on the Governor and the General Assembly to pass a budget,” she said. “This is not about a political party or an ideology, this is about the people of Illinois.”
Gene Howell, Operations Director for RiverBend Head Start & Family Services, also explained what his agency does in the community and how important it is to have a workable state budget.
“Our agency serves 1,000 of the most vulnerable children in Madison County,” he said. “These children, who are under the age of five, are in danger of not having the skills they need to be successful when they go to kindergarten in the public schools. This is because their families are living in poverty.
He added, “Families choose to enroll their children in our voluntary program because they are committed to making a change and know that education is one key to combat poverty. Even though these families are living in poverty, more than 60-percent of the families we serve are employed. We are serving the working poor. These parents are some of the people who wait on you at restaurants, change your oil in your car and check you out at stores. In fact more than half of the families in our program earn less than $10,000 a year.”
In addition to providing an education for their children, we work with the families to address the challenges in their lives. We have seen that when these families set goals, and receive support from our staff, they will achieve them, he said.
“To be successful in this part of our mission, we cannot do it alone. We collaborate with many local social service agencies to provide the resources these families need.
"Some of these resources are the very programs that are in danger of being cut and eliminated. These families are already teetering of the edge and an immediate reduction in services will throw many of these families into crisis. They do not have time to plan and find alternative resources. It could put their jobs in jeopardy, their housing, and they will no longer be in a position to support their children’s educations.
"This will impact their quality of life and it will have a ripple effect that will be felt in the greater community.“
Howell urged the lawmakers from both parties to collaborate and compromise over the budget situation.
“We know that a balanced budget is what is best for our state, but we need to find a way to minimize the impact on this already vulnerable population,” he said.
