Fact check
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The other day, Sheila Simon’s campaign sent out an e-mail asking people to check out her brand new website. So I did. And I found this…
The comptroller’s office plays an important role in the oversight of finances for local governments. Thousands of units of local government across Illinois are required to file annual reports with the comptroller. The current comptroller’s office has stated they are “just a repository” for this information, nothing more.
In addition, many of these units of local government are several years delinquent in filing their financial reports. Sheila will work to shine a light on delinquent local government and provide real analysis of the financial reports they submit to the comptroller. Sheila believes this type of oversight can help prevent the type of local corruption seen in places like Dixon, Washington Park, and Moro Township. [Emphasis added.]
* Many are still several years delinquent? Well that’s not good.
So, I checked with Comptroller Topinka’s spokesman and asked how many local governments were at least two years behind. I figured since Simon claimed “several years” I’d make sure it was more than one. Here is the response…
There are 5,200 local governments that file Annual Financial Reports with the Comptroller’s Office.
When Comptroller Topinka took office in 2011, there were 101 local governments that were more than two years delinquent with their filings. Today there are 28. Comptroller’s staff is in regular contact with those governments to bring them into compliance.
It is also worth noting that the Comptroller successfully pushed for legislation last year to fine local governments for late reports. The fining started on May 1 and we believe that it will encourage even greater compliance moving forward.
That works out to about a half percentage point delinquency rate. Not exactly a scandal, or even “many.”
- Fed up - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 2:49 pm:
Sheila also knew that Lisa Madigan was going to run for Gov. Maybe she needs a new crystal ball.
- Spliff - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 2:50 pm:
Dumb Dumb Dumb ddduuummmbbb!!!!
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 2:54 pm:
I wonder if Sheila even knows about the legislation that started the Fines in May, and further, I wonder if Sheila even knows what the amount of fines are to the 28, what the “Fines” can actually “be”, or anything about the process to get to the point of issuing a “fine”.
Unless it was on her “Attorney General’a Office Quiz” sheet when Sheila was “this/close” to Lisa… and “that/close” to running for AG last May, … I would really wonder how much the Lt. Governor knows about the Comptroller’s Office.
Never let a written paragraph about nothing get in the way of what is actually happening.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:04 pm:
I don’t agree with her on everything, but I wish JBT would run for governor. I’d vote for her in a minute.
She’d be a common-sense superstar on the national stage and put the smack down on the lunatics who are ruining the GOP.
I truly regret voting for Whitney instead of JBT. That was stupid. I couldn’t stomach Blago, but I should not have taken out my antipathy to the old Dixiecrats in the national GOP on her.
‘
JBT, OPRF v Hinsdale Central Friday night. If you want someone to get sigs, give me a holler.
- ??? - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:04 pm:
You can view the list of non-compliant/delinquent local governments on the Comptroller’s website, if you go to the Local Government section under the Departments tab and then click the link for non-compliant units of government. Maybe I’m not interpreting the report (which was run at the end of August, I believe) correctly, but there’s a lot more than 28 on there.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:09 pm:
This woman has to be exhausted digging herself deeper into insignificance and desperation
- downstate commissioner - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:10 pm:
Comptroller’s reports have been out there for many years. They have little to do with real-life expenditures of the local governments (except for adding to them, since they have become so complicated that a CPA has to be hired to fill them in). News for you, Sheila, don’t count on them for real information on corruption-they are just numbers…
- BigDoggie - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:10 pm:
??? - 28 is the number of entities that are at least 2 years delinquent. It sounds like the report that you are looking at is all entities that are delinquent by any length of time.
- ??? - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:12 pm:
Ah, yes. Thanks, BigDoggie, I forgot about the “2 or more years” part.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:20 pm:
??? I suspect if you have an extension of Y you are ok… That’s a guess. Also many of those on the list of 181 are less than 2 years behind.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:21 pm:
How?
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:26 pm:
Facts are tricky things. Its always tempting as a candidate or public official to over/under state the facts and hope that nobody will check or verify your numbers. SS should know better by now. Hopefully, for her sake, she has something more substantive to run on than this. I like my Comptrollers to be painfully accurate in performing their duties and in their statements.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:37 pm:
@FakeSheilaSimon - Look. I became a Lawyer so I wouldn’t have to worry about numbers, so Comptrolling is new, k? #SecondChoiceOfficeIsFirstMistake
@FakeSheilaSimon - I was preoccupied in May, so if that all passed, I am sure when I go back to teaching Muni Law I can lecture on it. #AppleForTheProf
@FakeSheilaSimon - I want to again ask for @FakePatQuinn to accept my apology, and I am right here if he needs a “name” to run with again #EatingCrowStinks
@FakeSheilaSimon - I look forward to showing taxpayers how their mnoney is being used, once I learn first. #BabySteps
@FakeSheilaSimon - How exciting, they are checking my “facts”. Not exciting that they seem …off? #FactsAreStubbornThings
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:39 pm:
OK, so there are 28 that are 2 or more years delinquent. Not a scandal, but then Belknap is in the news again, so if I stretch hard enough, maybe the two can be connected.
This was a legitimate shot at Topinka, but it is exactly the weak sauce that is in the Comptroller Issues Attack binder. Why do you think Frerichs would rather talk about Climate Change than issues relating to the Treasurer’s office?
Simon’s shot is well within bounds but dreadfully weak. Topinka’s response was perfect. We have 13 more months of this people. Try to stay awake and remember, they’re fighting to be the Official in Charge of Accounts Payable.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:52 pm:
Ms Simon, you are going to get schooled, the JBT way. No recess, no hall passes and no teachers’ institute days. You. Are. Toast.
To echo what wordslinger said - Please, Comptroller Topinka, please run for governor again. You got my vote last time, you’d get it again. There are many folks who would not only vote but would come out in droves to help with the campaign. Count me in. Even if you don’t, you have my vote as Comptroller. Much respect.
- Logic not emotion - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:53 pm:
FWIW: I just checked the website. I know a little about one that is listed. That municipality has virtually no funds. I imagine that the volunteer mayor probably can’t do it and probably doesn’t have the funds to hire a CPA.
- dupage dan - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 3:55 pm:
I wonder how a funeral dirge sounds on a banjo?
- Norseman - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 4:24 pm:
I hate to see Carbondale deprived of Sheila’s presence. Vote JBT and let Sheila go home.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 4:29 pm:
Has Sheila Simon indicated how many people she will need to hire to conduct this “oversight” of all of these units of local government?
- OurMagician - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 4:32 pm:
Next, Sheila Simon will call on the Treasurer’s office to starting disbursing funds using a “Cash Dash”.
- BigDoggie - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 4:35 pm:
“Sheila will hold these governments accountable and show taxpayers how their money is being used in their community.”
Yes, with 5200 governmental entities in the state, I imagine that she will dutifully engage the taxpayers of 3.56 entities per day for her four-year term to explain to all of them how their money is being used. (this assumes she will do this on a 365 day per year basis as well, with no days off)
- Research lady - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 5:40 pm:
Wait until we get to look at th banjo lady’s record or lack there of.
- otoh - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 8:36 pm:
Good grief. First Frerichs and now Simon.
- one of the 35 - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 9:50 pm:
Maybe there is a reason why the good people of Carbondale chose not to elect her as Mayor?
- Judgment Day - Wednesday, Oct 16, 13 @ 10:31 pm:
“I wonder how a funeral dirge sounds on a banjo?”
Cruel. Accurate, but cruel.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 17, 13 @ 2:46 pm:
how can you call checking with a spokesman a fact check?