Not Everyone Approves New La Salle County Budget

A new budget takes effect today for La Salle County, after the county board narrowly approved it Thursday afternoon.

Ten board members voted against the 71 million dollar budget.  Many don’t like the $6.6 million dollars budgeted expense for the La Salle County Nursing Home.  Even some who voted for the budget say they want the nursing home to either be run better or taken out of the county’s hands completely. 

A pay raise for the nursing home’s assistant administrator also ruffled feathers including those of board member Randy Freeman.  He says a 73 hundred dollar pay raise “rubs him the wrong way” in that the county has told other employees they can’t afford raises.  Freeman also says the assistant administrator should take some blame for being at the nursing home when alleged sex abuse was happening.

Chairman Jerry Hicks says the raise actually is 57 hundred dollars and is an equity adjustment to make up for overtime the employee has put in.  It also brings her 51 thousand dollar salary to the same level as the assistant director of nursing at the nursing home.