Auditor to Start County Board Per Diem Review Next Week

The forensic auditor will look at all 10 Kendall County Board members' meeting pay from December 2008 to June 1.

An independent forensic audit of Kendall County Board members' pay likely won't be finished this year. Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis announced Tuesday that he's meeting with personnel from a Palos Heights-based firm next week to hand off meeting minutes, pay stubs and other information. Dennis Czurylo and his firm will review the requests for meeting pay surrounding all 10 county board members from December 2008 to June 1. Czurylo’s firm had estimated the audit would take three months after the firm received the relevant paperwork. The auditor’s findings will be reported to Weis, who would use them in connection with any investigation. Weis announced he was hiring the firm in June after long-time county board member Anne …

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Kendall County Working Through Economic Development Plan

Kendall County leaders explain what they have done since releasing a new economic development plan in December.

Kendall County’s economic development efforts center on a county employee, a $15,000 budget, a handful of county board members and a 72-page plan. The plan, approved in December after two public roundtables, looks to push the county’s economic development efforts beyond the $1.9 million revolving loan fund that saw some failed loans in past years as the economy plummeted. The plan targets industrial and manufacturing growth, partially in hopes of attracting jobs that pay more than basic retail jobs and partially to avoid duplicating more local efforts, such as the Yorkville Economic Development Corporation, Oswego's village Economic Development Department and the Montgomery Economic Development Corporation. The tasks may be relatively new …

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Jillian Duchnowski

5:38 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Charlene, Thank you for providing that clarification. I'm glad to learn we have someone who has maintained that certification for more than 10 years working for economic development in Montgomery.   more ›

Forensic Accountant to Audit County Board Pay

Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis announced he's hiring a Palos Heights-based firm.

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis is hiring a Palos Heights-based forensic accountant to review county board members’ meeting pay since December 2008. Dennis Czurylo and his firm will review meeting minutes, board rules and related state statutes, payroll information and pay vouchers, which are documents board members submit requesting pay for individual meetings. Weis discussed the audit with county board members Tuesday morning and announced he would seek the special review without a board vote. Prosecutors commonly rely on forensic audits for cases involving allegations of financial crimes, but generally an outside entity has paid for and completed the audit before prosecutors are involved, Weis said. “This is a board matter,” …

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Todd Milliron

9:03 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012

Travis, I'm sure the auditor will come up with some recommendations that will need to be considered and implemented. When I first ran for KCB in the early primary of 2008, I did my own review at that time, mainly regarding mileage submitted by KCB members in 2007. The board members I had mileage questions about were asked about my concerns and I did receive answers that were acceptable …   more ›

Weis Expected to Suggest Auditor for Kendall County Board Pay Review

State's Attorney Eric Weis could name someone to review all board members' meeting pay on Tuesday.

Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis plans to suggest an individual on Tuesday to audit county board members’ meeting pay over the past three years. His suggestion will include an approximate cost, although his original estimate was between $5,000 and $10,000, Weis said at the board’s Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday. The county board’s Finance Committee, which also met Thursday, supported spending county money on the audit. The County Board's next meeting starts at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the county office building. County board members have been squabbling for weeks over which meetings their colleagues could claim for an $85 per diem – and whether County Board member Dan Koukol purposefully submitted claims for meetings not covered…

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Koukol Pay Case Not Closed for State's Attorney

Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis still plans to present the county board with information about a forensic auditor.

Kendall County Board Chair Weighs in on Koukol Meeting Pay

Chairman John Purcell said independent audit not needed.

Kendall County Board member Dan Koukol has agreed to credit the county for three meeting payments - and Chairman John Purcell thinks that should be the final word on the matter. Purcell reviewed Koukol's meeting pay vouchers over the past year and found that Koukol, of Oswego, was improperly paid an $85 per diem three times over the past year. County board members request meeting payments by submitting vouchers, usually once a month, so Koukol is going to attend three meetings without requesting the associated $85 pay, Purcell said. Purcell's review sharply contrasts with Finance Committee Chairman Anne Vickery's review, which found Koukol was improperly paid for more than 50 meetings since taking office in December 2010. Purcell started …

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sarah b.w.t.

4:21 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012

Completely agree.   more ›

Poll: What Should Be Done About Kendall County Board Meeting Pay?

We ask readers how leaders should respond to questions surrounding County Board member Dan Koukol's meeting pay.

Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis has suggested hiring an independent auditor to review the 10 county board members' meeting payments. Weis estimated an outside audit of the meeting payments over the past three years would cost $5,000 to $10,000. The forensic auditor could review meeting minutes and payments and provide the type of information necessary for a criminal investigation. Weis' recommendation came at Thursday's Committee of the Whole meeting, but the matter was not discussed at Tuesday's County Board meeting. Board Chairman John Purcell said it would be discussed "soon." The issue arose after Finance Committee chair Anne Vickery questioned several payments County Board member Dan Koukol requested - and received - for …

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Tim

10:59 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012

There are some legitimate points, yes. I saw about 3 meetings that were claimed on the same day. The rules prohibit that. It adds up to $240. The rules say that one meeting per day can be claimed, it says nothing that board members voluntarily attending meetings can not claim this. In fact, it says they are encouraged to attend. It also says they can collect a per diem for meetings attended. It …   more ›

Milliron Requests County Meeting Pay Investigation

Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis said he's reviewing the information recent County Board candidate Todd Milliron gave him about a county board member's pay.

Former Kendall County Board candidate Todd Milliron is requesting an outside police agency investigate board member Dan Koukol’s alleged meeting overpayments. Milliron presented county board Finance Committee Chair Anne Vickery’s findings on Koukol’s pay to State’s Attorney Eric Weis last week and urged Weis to forward the matter to the Illinois State Police or another agency, as Weis’ office represents the county. Vickery has said Koukol improperly received the $85 daily meeting pay for about 50 meetings since he took office in December 2010. Weis said he had received Milliron’s complaint but was unsure how long it would take him or his staff to review it. Koukol, who had not read the complaint, declined to comment on it Monday morning. “…

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