Monee Township Board Authorizes Sweeping Line-Item Budget Transfers Across Departments

Monee Township Meeting | March 19, 2026

Article Summary: The Monee Township Board of Trustees approved six separate line-item transfers totaling more than $35,000 to balance departmental budgets, moving funds from contingencies into payroll, insurance, and legal fees.

Monee Township Budget Transfers Key Points:

• The board moved a total of $35,697.61 across various township and road district funds to cover end-of-year expenses.

• The largest single transfer moved $13,300 from contingencies to cover consultant fees and dues for the Assessor’s budget.

• The Road District required $4,123.87 to balance accounts for legal fees, legal publishing, building supplies, and equipment.

• All six line-item transfers were passed unanimously in 4-0 roll call votes by the trustees present.

The Monee Township Board of Trustees on Thursday, March 19, 2026, authorized a series of sweeping line-item transfers, moving nearly $35,700 across various municipal accounts to balance the district’s books as the budget cycle nears its end.

Operating with Trustee Terri L. Boles absent, Supervisor Donna Dettbarn and Trustees Deborah Burgess, James W. Young, and Billy Morgan meticulously voted through six separate financial maneuvers to reallocate funds primarily from contingency accounts to cover shortfalls in payroll, maintenance, and administrative lines. Trustee Burgess motioned for all six transfers, with Trustee Young seconding each motion. Every transfer passed unanimously via a 4-0 roll call vote.

The Assessor’s budget saw significant restructuring. The board approved an $8,000 transfer moving funds from the consultant line (5046) into payroll (5000). A separate Assessor transfer moved $5,300 from contingencies to cover an additional $1,800 in payroll, $900 in payroll taxes, $2,500 for computer equipment, and $100 for equipment maintenance. Furthermore, $825 was pulled from contingencies to cover the Assessor’s office lease (5105), and a massive $13,300 transfer was approved from contingencies to cover Assessor’s consultant fees and subscriptions (5125).

The General Town Fund Board Budget also required balancing, with the board shifting $3,975.74 from contingencies (5195). The reallocated money was dispersed across several operational lines: $400 to health insurance, $2,000 to payroll tax, $623.04 to building improvements, $726.15 to the newsletter, and $226.55 to miscellaneous services. A smaller General Assistance Funds transfer moved $173 from Continencies (5195) to IMRF ($10) and insurance ($163).

Finally, the board addressed the Road District Budget. Trustees approved a $4,123.87 transfer from the Road and Bridge Fund contingencies to cover a variety of operational deficits. The funds were redirected to pay $1,272.18 for professional legal fees (5042), $138.13 for publishing legal notices (5120), $2,313.66 for building supplies (5535), and $400 for equipment supply (5540).

Following the transfers, the board noted under Old Business that discussions for the upcoming 2026-2027 Budget Workshop are underway. Officials indicated that some changes will be made moving forward, and a tentative budget is currently available for review.