* For months and months, whenever a state vendor or social service provider was having financial troubles, the Rauner administration pointed the finger of blame at the comptroller, even though she has no control over how much money flows into the state checkbook and which contracts are signed by the administration. Well, now the shoe is on the other foot…
Even though a state budget was finally passed earlier this summer, the process for paying allocated funds is not automatic. Social service agencies are waiting for money owed to them by the state.
Before a budget was approved, the Sojourn Shelter in Springfield laid off staff members and was considering further cuts. The agency serves domestic-abuse victims, providing housing and resources to help them get back on their feet. It’s still waiting for money due for fiscal years 2017 and ‘18. […]
Bertoni said that, having worked a long time for non-profits, she’s well aware the process could take months. Other such agencies in the state are also waiting for funds. The Illinois Comptroller’s Office writes the checks for organizations like Sojourn, but it can’t until the Illinois Department of Human Services releases payments.
The Comptroller’s Office said in a statement that it “has not received vouchers from the Department of Human Services for Sojourn Shelter and other providers that protect and care for domestic violence survivors. Once those vouchers arrive, they will be treated as a priority.” […]
Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson Meghan Powers said in a statement, “The FY18 budget passed by the General Assembly required changes in our accounting systems in order to release payments for domestic violence providers. IDHS has prioritized domestic violence funding and our team has been diligently working to make the required changes and to communicate these changes to the Illinois Office of the Comptroller. We will be releasing payments to the Comptroller’s Office on a rolling basis as the system changes are completed. We anticipate releasing payments to the Comptroller’s Office within the week. We appreciate our providers’ continued patience with this process.”
So, now they’re blaming the General Assembly. I really hope they’re not playing games with domestic violence money.
I mean, the budget veto was overridden more than a month ago, so accounting issues sounds a little suspect. Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the House’s chief budget negotiator said he didn’t know what accounting systems changes IDHS is talking about.
* And it’s not like there’s no available money…
According to the Comptroller’s Office, they have $15 million set aside to fund domestic violence shelters.
It’s just sitting there waiting to be spent.
*** UPDATE ***
Hi Rich,
IDHS is not “playing games” with domestic violence funding. Our Department has made domestic violence funding a top priority.
The newly enacted budget required adjustments to providers’ contracts and changes in our accounting systems. We communicated these requirements to our providers. Our team has moved as quickly as possible to execute these adjustments and we released the first set of payments to the Comptroller’s Office this morning.
Thank you,
Meghan Powers
Illinois Department of Human Services
- Ole' Nelson - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:24 am:
Starve the beast continues.
- Anon221 - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:27 am:
JOMT (Just One More Thing) the BTIA’s motto and mission. Delay, Distract, Deny in any manner possible to “win”.
- wordslinger - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:31 am:
Squeeze the beast by other means.
Actions reveal intent.
- Langhorne - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:31 am:
Yep, starve the beast. Exposed in harsh sunlight.
BTIA? Ha. shameful, but they are beyond shame
- Politix - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:35 am:
I’m sure DoIT will get right on that new accounting systems thingy.
- Langhorne - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 11:39 am:
It is hard to think of anyone more deserving of help. Yet…
- Cook Street - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
What does BTIA stand for?
- Joe Bidenopolous - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
The holdup is that the “governor” doesn’t give a rats patootie about helping anyone, even DV victims.
Same as it ever was. Squeeze the beast continues to the detriment of everyone
- Earnest - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:11 pm:
>Squeeze the beast by other means.
I agree, but in this case I also think it has to do with a lack of basic management skills and leadership coming from this administration. Bad intentions plus incompetence.
- G'Kar - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
Why release a hostage if you don’t have to?
- Scrivenin' - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:27 pm:
Right after the budget was enacted, a friend who works in an agency (can’t remember which, might have been Human Services, maybe DCFS) remarked to me that they’d just finished re-building their whole system in order to work under the consent decree payment scheme. Now they have to go undo all those changes and re-do the system so they can go back to paying the normal way. On the one hand, I want to say poor management, but on the other, when has a budget situation like this ever occurred?
- Steve Polite - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:41 pm:
Cook, according to Governor Rauner he has the Best Team in America (BTIA).
- Cheryl44 - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
So Rauner hates both women* and children.
*Yes I know it’s merely a vast majority of abused adults are women.
- crazybleedingheart - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
Pay attention to the agency’s claim: this is what it looks like when a DHS payment is “prioritized.”
Think about the issues people who are waiting for DHS funds are facing: Drug addiction. Mental illness. Developmental Disability. Homelessness. Rape crisis. Caregiving crisis. Hunger. Postpartum depression.
Human services are mostly emergency services having to do with basic public safety.
The rest exist to prevent those emergencies.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
It’s not like the paycheck shows up in your account on Monday and you can start withdrawing the cash on Tuesday. The process put in place to spend State funding appropriately prevents certain State executives with lots of power from giving the money out inappropriately.
The same internal controls of taxpayer money are what prevent the ATM withdrawal of funding the State should avoid. Unfortunately, the system naively assumes that the budget comes out with enough time to plan for the next fiscal year’s spending.
- Robert the Bruce - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 3:23 pm:
Within hours of this becoming a story in the media, the accounting system began working.
What a bizarre coincidence.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 18, 17 @ 4:03 pm:
What adjustments?