This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes links to the latest Gubernatorial Disaster Declaration and Executive Order related to COVID-19, provides information about estimated Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) distributions to local governments for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023, informs about ISACo efforts to assist counties with SAFE-T Act compliance, includes a link to apply for Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grants (OSLAD), reports on opioid litigation filed by Illinois counties against drugstore chains, provides an update on the issuance of adult use cannabis licenses, links to ISACo's webpage listing Illinois officials and staff serving in National Association of Counties (NACo) leadership roles, announces upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, spotlights ISACo corporate partner Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. and invites counties to join ISACo.

Disaster Declaration Extended

On Friday, August 19, 2022, Governor JB Pritzker signed a new Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation that extends the state's disaster declaration for an additional 30 days.

The Governor also issued Executive Order (EO) 2022-18. This EO re-issues several previous COVID-19-related EOs.

Per P.A. 101-0640, remote meetings remain a permissible option for local governments as long as certain criteria are met. Additional information about this authority is available via this link.

IDOR Releases 2023 PPRT Estimates 

The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) has provided an estimate of entitlements for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023 for entities eligible to receive Personal Property Replacement Tax (PPRT) revenues. IDOR estimates that PPRT allocations will be $4.320 billion across 6,500 local taxing districts - an increase of 7.5% over allocations in SFY 2022. 

Additional information about PPRT revenue is available in this ISACo Policy Brief. 

ISACo Hosts Meetings to Discuss SAFE-T Act Compliance

ISACo has held two meetings (May 24 and August 4) to provide county officials and staff with a forum to exchange information and best practices about how their counties are planning to comply with the personnel requirements ahead of the January 1, 2023, implementation of the SAFE-T Act. The next meeting, to be held via Zoom, is scheduled for September 8, 2022. Please contact ISACo at info@isacoil.org if your county would like to participate in the meeting. 

The SAFE-T Act is the criminal justice reform legislation enacted into law as P.A. 101-0652 in early 2021. ISACo's overview of the Act is available here. ISACo also published an overview of a trailer bill to the SAFE-T Act (P.A. 102-0694) that was enacted into law in January 2022.

ISACo is seeking to identify problems making compliance with the Act difficult as well as possible solutions to those problems. County officials and staff are invited to share this information with ISACo by utilizing this Word document and e-mailing it to info@isacoil.org. The goal of this endeavor is to identify ways to reduce costs and ease compliance with existing SAFE-T Act provisions. 

OSLAD Grant Application Period Open

A long-standing grant program that helps communities cover the cost of local park development will offer up to 100% funding assistance for distressed communities for the first time in the history of the program. The grants are offered through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30 for the next round of state-funded Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, grants. Additional information is available here.

Applications must be submitted to IDNR through the Amplifund Grant Management System at https://bit.ly/2023OSLAD by 5 p.m. Sept. 30, 2022.

Illinois Counties File Opioid Litigation Against Drugstore Chains

The Chicago Tribune reports about a lawsuit filed by 19 counties against drugstore chains alleging their role in exacerbating the opioid crisis. 

Related News:

Illinois attorney general announces $450M in nationwide settlement as part of opioid maker endo’s bankruptcy

Illinois to Use $760M from Opioid Settlements to Fund Treatment, Prevention Programs

All First Round Conditional Adult Use Cannabis Licenses Awarded

On August 19, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issued three additional Conditional Adult Use Dispensing Organization Licenses to applicants selected in lotteries held in the summer of 2021. These awardees join the 182 conditional licenses issued by the Administration in July and early August, meaning that all 185 available licenses from the original round of licenses have now been issued. Additional information is available here.

Illinois County Officials and Staff in NACo Leadership Positions

Illinois counties are well-represented in the National Association of Counties (NACo) governance and policy-making structure. ISACo maintains a dedicated webpage listing Illinois members of the NACo Board of Directors, standing committees, policy steering committees and advisory boards. This page is updated to reflect changes.

County officials and staff from NACo member counties interested in serving on a NACo committee/advisory board can apply using this form.

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities. 

Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions

(Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 1:00pm-2:00pm CDT)

NACo and partners at Bureau of Justice Assistance, CDC and State Justice Institute are excited to announce the new initiative, Reaching Rural: Advancing Collaborative Solutions.

Click on this link to register for this event.

The Opioid Response Network: A Free and Localized Resource to Enhance County-Led Efforts

(Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 2:00pm-3:00pm CDT)

Counties across the nation are on the front lines of the opioid and stimulant crisis providing essential public services. To enhance these efforts, refine approaches, fill gaps and help counties achieve their goals, NACo has partnered with the Opioid Response Network (ORN). ORN is a coalition of over 40 national organizations working to address the opioid crisis and stimulant use across all U.S. states and territories. ORN, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provides free, localized education and training in evidence-based practices for the prevention, treatment and recovery of all substance use disorders. If you are in need of on-demand technical assistance, education, or training, ORN can help.

In this webinar you will learn how ORN works and case examples of ways in which ORN has supported communities to explore, plan and implement locally designed strategies. Not sure where to begin? ORN can help. Participants will leave this webinar with an understanding of how counties can utilize this resource to support their work.

Click on this link to register for this event.

Corporate Partner Spotlight

This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Burke Warren, a full-service law firm with expertise where law, business, and government intersect including:

• Public Finance: Burke Warren acts as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, disclosure counsel, issuer’s counsel, bank counsel, special pension disclosure counsel and borrower’s counsel in public finance transactions for State, County and Municipal governmental units.
• Government Representation: Burke Warren’s broad experience includes general counsel representation, eminent domain litigation, environmental contamination, land use entitlements and development incentives, real estate transactions and employment disputes.

Learn more about Burke Warren and firm partners Ray Fricke, Matt Norton, and Karen Mack by clicking on the links.

Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.

Become an ISACo Member!