PORT BYRON, Ill. - After a meeting with members of the Tri-County Opportunities Council, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, is urging Governor Rauner to resume good-faith budget negotiations after 25 employees at the Council were laid off in the absence of a state budget.
"The Tri-County Opportunities Council helps countless families across the region navigate the confusing network of red tape that too often accompanies accessing critical services, and the value of these dedicated professionals to our community is immeasurable," Smiddy said. "I want everyone to recognize the value of the service these men and women provide, and work with me to craft a compassionate spending plan that ensures community action agencies like Tri-County can continue to serve the people of Illinois."
Smiddy learned of layoffs at the Tri-County Opportunities Council during a meeting with Terri Lawrence, who is the director of the organization. The Tri-County Opportunities Council serves the nine counties of Bureau, Carroll, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle, Putnam, Stark, and Whiteside. Approximately 2,100 residents participate in the various programs the Council helps administrate, including Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization and Housing Programs, home cooling aid and Childcare Assistance. Each of these programs has seen dramatic decreases to the state funding it depends on and has been forced to eliminate services for residents and/or lay off workers.
"These programs represent relatively small items in the state budget, but have enormous impacts on thousands of families right here in our communities," said Terri Lawrence, director of the Tri-County Opportunities Council. "It's the people most in need that are suffering from an absence of a budget and without dependable state support; we simply will not be able to give residents the service they need. I want to thank Representative Smiddy for taking the time to investigate the impacts of this funding shortage, and I urge the Governor and the General Assembly to find a way to restore these programs that are so vital to our community."
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