Kane County Board debates spending riverboat money on social media hires

A debate about spending more riverboat gambling money than Kane County takes in turned into another county board argument Tuesday on board Chairman Chris Lauzen's most recent hires.

County board members have supported the idea of fueling community engagement through a two-person team of community outreach coordinators. The coordinators are tasked with building a social media network to connect county residents with local events, government officials and each other.

But several board members have repeatedly expressed concerns about how to measure the success or failure of the new hires.

On Tuesday, discussions centered on how to pay the salaries associated with the jobs and whether the county can afford the positions beyond this year.

Lauzen hired Cheryl Maraffio and Nicholas Scanlan to fill the coordinator slots. Maraffio is Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner's most recent campaign coordinator. Scanlan just completed an associate degree in general studies at Waubonsee Community College.

Lauzen said one of the measurable goals of success for Maraffio and Scanlan in their new county jobs would be to generate 1,000 Facebook “Likes” on the new “Kane County Connected” Facebook page within six months. After about one month, the page has 414 “Likes.”

It will cost the county about $162,000 to keep those two positions heading into next year. Lauzen says half the money for the positions, which include insurance and retirement benefits, should come from outside funding, such as grants.

The other half he wants to come from riverboat gambling money the county receives. But the flow of riverboat money has slowed with the economy and a proliferation of other gambling outlets.

If all goes according to plan, the county will spend about $5.4 million of riverboat money on internal projects and external grants to area agencies in 2014. However, the county expects to receive about $3.9 million from the Elgin riverboat next year.

That deficit isn't necessarily a problem if county board members agree to dip into about $10 million of reserve money sitting in the county's riverboat fund.

That decision wasn't on the table Tuesday when county board members were asked to vote on the internal projects portion of the riverboat money budget for 2014.

The list contained 18 projects at a cost of $4.38 million. Lauzen's community outreach funding request of $81,000 was part of the total.

Board member Jesse Vazquez said the $81,000 should be removed from the list of projects to show the board is serious about weaning county operations off the dwindling pool of riverboat money. That shifted the debate from spending down the riverboat reserves and onto the value of the community outreach positions.

Lauzen said voting against the $81,000 of riverboat funding for the positions was tantamount to voting to abolish the jobs.

“If it's taken out of the riverboat funds, someone else is going to have to pay for it,” Lauzen said.

“Would you rather have the property taxpayers pay for this?”

Lauzen said he would not support any move to add to the local tax burden. And several board members indicated Vazquez's suggestion seemed to be an attack on Lauzen's creation of the community outreach positions.

“Why just take the one out?” board wmember Susan Starrett asked.

“Is it you're just trying to do something only against the chairman?”

Vazquez pointed out he voted in favor of creating the positions in Lauzen's initial presentation.

“We've talked about the need to stop relying on riverboat money for two or three years,” Vazquez said. “I just don't think we ought to fund (the positions) out of the riverboat grants.”

Vazquez's suggestion to shift the expense to the county's operational budget failed when called for a vote.

Board members then agreed to revisit the idea of spending down the riverboat reserves at a later meeting and move ahead with funding the community outreach jobs through the riverboat for now.

Lauzen said he would personally eliminate the jobs if the social media network shows signs of being a flop.

“We won't have to come back here for a vote on that,” Lauzen said.

“I will personally discontinue this. That has been made clear to Cheryl and Nick.”

Where riverboat money will go

How Kane County will use riverboat gambling money to fund internal operations in 2014:

1. Juvenile Justice Center Bond Payment: $792,726

2. Farmland Preservation Program: $600,000

3. Drug Court: $566,800

4. State's Attorney for Child Advocacy Center: $493,256

5. State's Attorney for Domestic Violence Program: $477,664

6. Water Resources Cost Share Drainage Program: $304,000

7. Kane County Public Health Department Kane Kares Program: $261,952

8. State's Attorney Drug Prosecution: $188,075

9. Tuition Reimbursement for county employees: $150,000

10. Kane County website maintenance: $100,000

10. Kane County Public Health Department Fit for Kids Program: $100,000

12. Kane County Board Community Outreach Coordinators: $81,000

13. Kane County Recycling Program: $79,000

14. Stormwater Management Planning: $60,000

15. Structure Demolition Program: $50,000

16. State's Attorney Victim Coordinator Services: $38,602

17. State's Attorney Title IV-D Program: $19,798

Total: $4,384,404

SOURCE: Kane County Board Riverboat Subcommittee