[{"_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",6008199,"mediaKeyId","5817642-31f055693cc4a4efdc85fd7392b38307","parentId",5817642,"title","Tazewell County weighs centralized online payment system against department-specific control","audioSeconds",155,"startMs",8000,"endMs",163000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5817642-31f055693cc4a4efdc85fd7392b38307&start=8&end=163","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5817642-31f055693cc4a4efdc85fd7392b38307/thumbnail_8000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6008199/Tazewell-County/Illinois/Tazewell-County-weighs-centralized-online-payment-system-against-department-specific-control","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6008199-d7672590f691bf0ad7df671d7f7512ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976104&Signature=cxdNOCohj0qyt9DZmampVCchiBOgGLV1wNceS2APbQqvdHAqFEghkgD64GK6ZTUlnDbm-reMVAWLS-Ar4h0APFtb5AQD7A2Vyx48X~0p5-Lt15tiiSnHNm0t09YTFOHXzw6bETkVekBZImt7pGD46oT1ezhIMNxI27-q8nWftYlsmZpCGsYb6qzYEDgOegc3O14b1r-OVfQlczsXSEt-H1xnc80PZlikbFCsFRexr7BLx2m3hrWFfsBMjEVARoMw0TSz6qygWyEfUb9Lf1hdkULP~jsdBwl15vzyUOTgUjtF0HufVJNeeMjMOAF0BgfEfwo9UpvunoC2h2VwgoaElw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tazewell County, IL","date","2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","article","Tazewell County officials discussed the trade-offs between a single, countywide online payment vendor and allowing departments to run their own payment systems, citing transaction fees, software incompatibilities and departmental workflow needs.

A board member said centralization simplifies the public-facing experience: \"If somebody wants to pay, you have 5 different credit card process\" across departments, which would confuse residents. In contrast, a county officer argued departments must keep some control because they are responsible for revenue and operations and must be able to respond when things go wrong: \"you're responsible for what your office is doing, for the revenue, for expense. And if something goes wrong, you're ... gonna get the call.\"

Speakers described technical limits and vendor constraints: one person noted that some providers limit which counties can use their systems and that many departments use different software platforms, making a single centralized solution technically challenging. The sheriff commented that centralized models (for example, a centrally managed fleet manager) can raise concerns about departmental autonomy.

Operational and data issues also arose. Staff reported that WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program records are removed from an internal system after 90 days, forcing manual comparisons to previous-year data. That led staff to note a need for improved reporting and data retention in any technology upgrade.

Funding and planning discussions touched on technology investments and small grant uses: one speaker said the county is using energy transition grant funds (a figure described in the transcript as roughly \"$103,000\" for current work) and mentioned ARPA as another potential source. Several speakers asked that the county develop and analyze internet and payment solutions as an action item and to return with proposals.

Ending: The meeting recorded robust debate but no final decision; participants asked staff to report back with options that balance user convenience, vendor fees and departmental control.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tazewell County Strategic Planning 5 2-22-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Board members and department heads debated whether to centralize online payments under a single vendor to create a uniform customer experience, or allow departments to retain control because of niche needs and vendor integration limits.","taxTitle","Tazewell County, Illinois","taxId",12888,"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},6008204,"Tazewell County officials say pay and benefits are hindering hiring, urge quick compensation review",188,430000,618000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5817642-31f055693cc4a4efdc85fd7392b38307&start=430&end=618","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5817642-31f055693cc4a4efdc85fd7392b38307/thumbnail_430000.jpg","/articles/6008204/Tazewell-County/Illinois/Tazewell-County-officials-say-pay-and-benefits-are-hindering-hiring-urge-quick-compensation-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6008204-55efc9995becc354e1e4a50f0fe33fd9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976104&Signature=bAEGf0KNlesqIiFLT9m7XLeOUGrTDZdXf8XhZ87WTuT5fy8zX~nqxgKtAEKkQ5UmUsghAe0aNrdxLl5PWEgofUKaGiHC1t-TJF4fdg5WXW21Sm3kXaaO49C6EJu2AgR4-pfLJ9yHY2cdYYo2B-MYITsqyXdJmlE7SMS9ykrcbd~b4jmecTbwD88o4nXETZpgsa3BufykO2cZsJ~ECpDVAZA~Qvx81eaLtptMnUhKiYwJSDQRgi99Aqs264HWfFYSzHlp5nEgF3qlPuuv0~sO-JJBLtxB8D9VMFLN0TCUD0X95Nzb1vWIXIb8ePyUJ1DrL-OEvpZrmSl15-jivoBe5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tazewell County elected officials and department heads said during the meeting that low wages and restrictive benefit rules are making it difficult to hire and keep employees, and urged the board to accelerate a compensation and classification review.

The concern centers on competitive pay and benefit design. A county department head said, “We need to do that yesterday,” describing multiple open positions and recent departures tied to pay and benefits. The same speaker said one employee had accepted another job that paid “$5,000 more a year,” and that the department’s staffing level was “half of what it was.”

Why it matters: speakers warned that continued vacancies and turnover could interrupt county services. Department heads repeatedly linked recruitment problems to pay and to benefit rules that limit whether a spouse may be enrolled on county insurance plans. One commenter said the inability to include a spouse on county coverage can make private-sector offers comparatively more attractive.

Board members and former county officers described broader labor-market pressures. A former county official compared Tazewell County’s experience to neighboring “Tri-County,” saying that even after raising salaries there, some lower-level positions remained hard to fill. Several speakers urged the board to prioritize the compensation and classification project to improve recruitment and retention.

Speakers also noted bargaining-unit dynamics. One person observed that union-negotiated benefits and salary packages have affected market comparisons and that some unions are considering trimming spousal coverage because of rising costs.

No formal action was recorded in the transcript on pay changes or a timeline for implementation. Speakers asked for the board to make compensation a top priority and for staff to return with concrete proposals; the transcript records discussion and strong support for rapid progress but no completed motion or vote.

Ending: Department heads asked for prompt follow-up and for the board to consider both salary adjustments and benefit design changes. Several speakers recommended board education sessions and direct meetings with department heads to align on priorities and implementation details.","County department heads and board members told the meeting that low pay and limited benefits are driving staff departures and preventing hires; several speakers pressed for an immediate compensation and classification review to retain and recruit employees.","actionData","errors"]

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Tazewell County weighs centralized online payment system against department-specific control

Tazewell County officials say pay and benefits are hindering hiring, urge quick compensation review