Stopgap means WIU can avoid technical default
Wednesday, Jul 6, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* But only if the money arrives in time….
The stopgap budget will prevent Western from having to dip into restricted Auxiliary Facilities Systems funds to meet operational expenses — if the state comptroller sends payments out in the next 20 days, Bierman noted.
The university was scheduled to begin using restricted AFS funds, which are collected through residence hall revenue and student fees to support campus facilities built with and maintained by funds from the selling of tax-exempt bonds. Using AFS funds would have been a technical default on the university’s bond payments, and dipping into the AFS pot requires the university to notify bond holders within 10 days.
The decisions Western has made during the state’s fiscal crisis will not change, according to Bierman. Amid the crisis, the university has initiated layoffs and mandatory furloughs for non-negotiated employees. The university has given 105 layoff notices to non-faculty employees and about 45 notices to faculty.
A few non-faculty employees have been brought back due to retirements, Bierman said.
* WIU isn’t the only entity hoping for a quick payment schedule, but folks shouldn’t get their hopes up. There’s still not nearly enough revenue to go around…
As the ink dries on Illinois’ stopgap budget deal, City Water, Light and Power will be among those in line to get paid by the state. The city is asking Illinois for the $16.2 million it owes to the city-owned utility for keeping the lights and water on in its offices across the city, Mayor Jim Langfelder said on Tuesday.
But it’s still unclear how much and when the state would make payments.
“Comptroller (Leslie) Munger knows the utility companies have been waiting a long time for their payments and she has directed her staff to pay these bills immediately upon receiving the vouchers,” said Rich Carter, spokesman for Munger, in an email.
* And…
Vendors owned money from the 2015 Illinois State Fair should finally get paid as a result of a short-term budget approved by state lawmakers, though just how soon the money will arrive remains uncertain.
A six-month spending plan approved on Thursday, the final day of the state fiscal year, authorizes nearly $1.6 million for overdue vendor payments, as well as $6.4 million for operating the 2016 fair, Illinois Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Rebecca Clark said Tuesday. […]
Spokesman Rich Carter with the Illinois Comptroller’s Office said agency staff are working as quickly as possible to process an estimated 1,000 pages of bills owed various state vendors and contractors.
Carter said state agencies must submit vouchers before the office can begin paying the bills. “It’s a very complicated process,” said Carter. “We worked all weekend in order to get them ready.”.
- Dirty Red - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:22 am:
SIU moving forward with layoffs
http://news.wsiu.org/post/despite-stop-gap-budget-siuc-eliminates-some-staff
- WhatTheWhat - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:38 am:
>>>“It’s a very complicated process,” said Carter. “We worked all weekend in order to get them ready.”
- Dirty Red - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:42 am:
WhatThe…Comptroller has to code appropriations into the accounting system so vouchers are not rejected when they are sent to her for payment. They can only do that when an appropriations bill has been signed.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:44 am:
“Carter said state agencies must submit vouchers before the office can begin paying the bills. “It’s a very complicated process,” said Carter. “We worked all weekend in order to get them ready.”.
Huh? Come on Wingman what ya been doin’ for the last 16 months besides lickin’ BigBrain’s boots?
BTW some higher ed folks have been told the budget codin’ could last until next week.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:45 am:
If you’re not Illinois State or UIUC, I wouldn’t count on Gov. Rauner thinking you have enough worth… unless you can withstand his wrath(?)
Macomb, Carbondale, Edwardsville and Charleston,
Your pins in a map to the Administration, and your economic engine isn’t worth Gov. Rauner’s time.
When and where you can…
Vote Accordingly.
Lots and lots of races to do so… lots.
- Indochine - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 11:48 am:
Boy, people really do not understand this process.
Her office cannot “code” anything until there is a voucher from a state agency. If some city utility is in desperate need of payment, the Comptroller cannot do a thing until the voucher is sent by Corrections, etc.
- Federalist - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 3:21 pm:
@ Oswego Willy,
You have accurately summed it up!
- Federalist - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 3:25 pm:
AS far as I can tell from their budget, and from talking to a recent member of the negotiating team, WIU is still spending $1.9 million of state
funds on Athletics.
This appears to be the case and would be a serious lack in judgment on part of the WIU administration. But what else is new?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 3:40 pm:
(Tips cap to - Federalist -)
- Scamp640 - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 4:08 pm:
@ Federalist. I am not necessarily supporting varsity athletics in higher education. However, to suggest that WIU suddenly cut all athletics to avoid this technical default appears to be a knee jerk reaction to the larger, systemic issue. It’s not even clear that cutting all athletics programs would allow WIU to avoid technical default.
As somebody who works for a public institution of higher education in Illinois, I can tell you this. Our leaders may not have been flawless in their response to being taken hostage by Rauner, but I think they have done a pretty stand up job in the face of dire circumstances. Nobody has confronted this kind of situation before. There is no playbook. And yet, EIU is still open. WIU is still open. Your comments seem ill-informed despite your effort to look smart. Instead of blaming the victim, how about saying something positive.
- Illinoised - Wednesday, Jul 6, 16 @ 6:23 pm:
(Tips cap to - Scamp640-)
- atsuishin - Thursday, Jul 7, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
@Federalist
Prehaps WIU should be privatized? I doubt the bloat and mismanagement would last if WIU were cut from the taxpayer trough.