After a six-month interim stint leading McLean County government, Cassy Taylor officially became the county's administrator on Thursday.
The McLean County Board voted 15-0 to award Taylor a five-year contract. The vote followed last week’sexecutive committee approval of the promotion. With the vote, she gets a bump in salary and benefits.
Five board members were absent Thursday.
Board chair John McIntyre said last week the new contract with Taylor will pay her $150,000 per year. She also will get $10,000 annually in deferred compensation and $7,000 in vehicle reimbursement.
After the meeting, Taylor said that while the day-to-day business of her job won’t change — having a longer term outlook allows her to better strategically plan with the county leaders, and the county’s partners. Taylor replaced Camille Rodriguez, in June, when she left to take a public health position in Colorado.
Taylor already has shown she’s able to stabilize McLean County — the state’s largest by land area with 1,186-square miles — by leading during the pandemic, McIntyre said last week.
In another matter, the county’s nearly 20-year-old election equipment will be replaced, with the board voting 15-0 to spend about $1 million on the improvements.
The McLean County Clerk’s office handles all election matters outside of Bloomington. The city’s elections are handled by the Bloomington Election Commission.
County software changes
The board recommended the county select Journal Technologies Inc., as its vendor for a major replacement of the county’s justice computer system.
Consultants Mission Critical worked with the county to develop its request for proposals (RFPs), according to council materials.
The new software programs will be used for the courts, as well as offices of circuit clerk, public defender, state’s attorney and court services.
And with another vote Thursday, the board agreed to spend $125,000 for a new contract with Mission Critical — to lead the county through a similar process for choosing a vendor to replace the county's record management and jail management systems. The county plans to use American Rescue Plans (ARPA) funds to replace those; and the money must be assigned by 2024.
In other action, the board:
- Recognized The Ecology Action Center’s 50th anniversary. Board member Val Laymon read a proclamation to honor the nonprofit. The center's director Michael Brown and longtime board member Myra Gordon spoke on behalf of the Normal-based nonprofit environmental organization.
- Agreed to spend $3.1 million for upcoming road and bridge projects. The most substantial is a $1.6 million bridge replacement on Stringtown Road, set for this spring. Also moving forward are a $900,000 resurfacing project for part of PJ Keller Highway, between 2225 North Road to Meadows Road, and a $600,000 resurfacing project for part of Meadows Road, from U.S. 66 to Turkey Bridge near Interstate 55.
- Extended the local COVID-19 emergency. McIntyre first proclaimed the emergency in March 2020, and the board has voted to extend it each month for nearly two years now.
- Approved the McLean County Sheriff’s Department's request to spend $80,000 on Lexipol’s law enforcement policy manual, and corrections policy manual. The purchase includes subscription updates to those manuals throughout 2022.
- Agreed to pay Sanborn Map Co. about $100,000 for aerial photography for McLean County Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
