[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6199447,"mediaKeyId","3833499-062d94e59401370e9e41de6851b82302","parentId",3833499,"title","Union County board approves addendum updating county engineer pay to meet IDOT minimums","audioSeconds",142,"startMs",727000,"endMs",869000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3833499-062d94e59401370e9e41de6851b82302&start=727&end=869","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3833499-062d94e59401370e9e41de6851b82302/thumbnail_727000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6199447/Union-County/Illinois/Union-County-board-approves-addendum-updating-county-engineer-pay-to-meet-IDOT-minimums","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199447-9af15b5e9b294373975f91f5900302b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164578&Signature=D-Dm9gwr5mUVrF0yysXPWZ9U7MlEUo4K5bdVGZkQToMbV2EnLQBWXVjvxQS5bqvipaOilKU3--RSjyvJisPjGWphGl30FPcjdWHjWhzSHgLioWbkgDw3J9FiLIG0x8Gk7V~tpC1gRwi~WxRCpTtzIQZ4YkK1tlQMmPtnfXa3wFXXpGtEKyLNvZaUbuvymC03nVRibphipdC6beZpgFvu~9g3U8h0rE9jxfLWhGkHaz2EmnBGOvXEZwmKrwj8PDyEFP7OwI5QUBbxN1VQmpiTQv-Pa5XWtmKGpDrB-Kx-0n7tO5M69B6aBlciuCrnM67U-eARWAivV~bYcQFDPUXjdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Union County, IL","date","2025-06-14T01:47:45Z","article","The Union County Board of Commissioners approved an addendum to the county engineer’s employment agreement dated March 21, 2025, to align the position’s pay with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) 2025 minimum salary guidance and to set future raises by a board majority but not below IDOT minimums.

A board member explained the change followed IDOT's release of the 2025 minimum list after a delay; the list includes a roughly 2% increase for county engineers. “The only increase of county engineer salary by 2%,” the member said, summarizing the recent guidance. The addendum replaces the contract’s prior annual automatic adjustment language with a provision that sets the county engineer’s salary at the current year’s IDOT minimum and states that “all future raises will be set annually by the majority of the county board, but at no time shall be less than a 100% of the minimum salary as determined by IDOT.”

The board moved to approve the amendment and recorded affirmative responses from Commissioners Harville, Pitts and Miller in the excerpted roll call. The motion as presented in the transcript was: “I make a motion we approve the amendment to employment green addendum for county engineer dated 03/21/2025 as presented.” The transcript shows Harville, Pitts and Miller voting “Yes”; the recorded responses for other commissioners were not included in the provided excerpt. The board chair said the matter was “short and sweet” after the vote.

Board discussion included why the addendum was needed now: IDOT did not issue a minimum salary list on its normal October schedule the prior year while it finalized the percentage increase; staff said the 2025 minimum list was issued last month. The addendum is intended to avoid renegotiating the contract every year when IDOT issues its guidance.

The board then moved to an executive session later in the meeting to discuss pending litigation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Union County Board Meeting 06.13.2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved an addendum to the county engineer's employment agreement to reflect the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) 2025 minimum salary list and set future raises annually by board majority but not below IDOT minimums.","taxTitle","Union County, Illinois","taxId",64206,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6199452,"Union County moves to execute Union Springs Road bridge contract after low bid",349,278000,627000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3833499-062d94e59401370e9e41de6851b82302&start=278&end=627","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3833499-062d94e59401370e9e41de6851b82302/thumbnail_278000.jpg","/articles/6199452/Union-County/Illinois/Union-County-moves-to-execute-Union-Springs-Road-bridge-contract-after-low-bid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199452-525522bd6ae2f515a5a0f96bb0dbc692/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164578&Signature=lle9JBvcr6OqXV8xehNW2ePEEdJazD9Vk5qoHunXn~M2M5kqgSOLFtjZ7JkM4WcCzrhv1El3jeK95taHQkX6XSwVqi0RYQ4z~gD39E6fOMHllNHAEEkAWGunlsLS9WpesAbbGhA5~fLdoKPW7Pgt4rbHDtprGi9gy-OQf6WqW5MS7LyxqiaI~C-oSuAVZpr5PHY7I~9-rKF~ikY2dAjuhMQkaX12QLjsRmFQPCKOWWVJ--v75JgoQBfkohb3rflrWzxRtezPHLdPdA5-jyZ58ctov5lNCpuX6ymx17widiqUyzxKPInLYengn2vHwI9JNUOiHpTHFKDygHKWpW-PRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Union County Board of Commissioners discussed awarding the Union Springs Road bridge contract after receiving a low bid of roughly $258,000 and moved to submit the contract to the selected bidder for signature, with final execution pending the signed return of the contract.

The discussion centered on how the project will be paid. A county highway representative said the county currently has about $202,000 unobligated in its Township Bridge Program (TBP) fund and about $70,000 that had been obligated for engineering but not yet paid out. “That's 258,000 and some change,” the highway representative said of the low bid. They added that the county may need about $56,000 from this year’s TBP allotment to cover the difference, but the county expects another TBP allotment of about $300,000 in August.

The highway representative also noted the county previously passed a resolution authorizing short-term borrowing from a federal aid match or insurance account if needed to cover payments until the next TBP allotment arrives. “We passed a resolution allowing us to borrow from our federal aid match account or insurance account to pay that until we get our next TBP allotment in August,” the representative said.

County staff said they have submitted the contract to the selected bidder to sign and will execute it on the county’s end once the signed contract is returned. The representative estimated fabrication and ordering of bridge beams will likely delay the start of physical work for one to two months, saying, “I would say that'll take at least a month. ... it could take as long as 2 months. So, see, June, it's probably gonna start sometime in July or August.” The board did not record a roll-call vote on the contract in the provided transcript excerpt; meeting minutes indicate the contract has been submitted for signature and execution is pending receipt of the signed agreement.

Board members also discussed a separate State of Illinois grant opportunity totaling $400 million for shovel-ready local projects. The highway representative said the county submitted applications for projects in design that could be ready within one to two years. “They were due on June 1,” the representative said, and the county expects to learn if it receives funding sometime in July.

The bridge under discussion will replace an existing wooden structure with a single-span concrete bridge; staff described it as smaller than some multi-span bridges the county manages but larger than small wooden crossings the county sometimes replaces. The board’s next steps in the transcript were to await the returned signed contract and the county’s TBP allotment in August, and to monitor the outcome of the state grant application.","The Union County Board discussed a low bid of about $258,000 for the Union Springs Road bridge, funding from the Township Bridge Program (TBP) and a recent state grant application; the contract has been submitted for signature and final execution is pending.","actionData","errors"]

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Union County board approves addendum updating county engineer pay to meet IDOT minimums

Union County moves to execute Union Springs Road bridge contract after low bid