Saline suing the state for tax money

Following suit with other area counties, Saline County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to sue the state of Illinois for monies it owes the county.

Mike Henshaw, Saline County state's attorney, said he plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the county against Constance Beard, the state revenue director, and Leslie Geissler-Munger, the state's comptroller, to recoup funds owed since July.

"Under the law it is what is called a 'Continuing Appropriation,'" said assistant State's Attorney Jayson Clark. "A budget is not required, it is on-going."

The Lawsuit seeks a court order compelling the state to pay the county its portion of the Personal Property Tax Replacement Fund.

The fund, enacted in 1979, provides statewide taxes to replace the monies lost to local governments when the state took away their powers to impose personal property taxes on corporations, partnerships and other business entities.

Only districts that collected personal property taxes for the 1977 tax year qualify to receive a share of the money.

Illinois, since July, has failed to make the required statutory reimbursements from that fund to Saline and area counties for the salaries of the State's Attorney, Public Defender and Supervisor of Assessments.

The amount owed to Saline County was in excess of $73,000 as of Nov. 30, and continues to grow.