Le Roy, Ill. (ECWd) –

According to meeting minutes of the November 20, 2023, Le Roy village board meeting, the Trustees voted to give away municipal funds.

By unanimous vote, Christmas gift (debit) cards totaling $1000.00 were gifted to village employees and to members of the village zoning board.

We have reported on unlawful gifts such as these for years, here are a few:

• Grundy County Regional Office of Education gifted $21,750 to employees for Christmas this past year
• Grundy County Regional Office of Education previously gifted a total of $37,950 in the three years prior
• Sangamon Valley Water District canceled their $3,200 Christmas gift card give-a-away after we published an article on it in 2022
• NECAS gave away $10,000 in Christmas bonuses while they were telling the public how broke they were
• Joliet Township bought gift cards with credit cards to give away for Christmas
• Algonquin Township Road District used a credit card for Christmas gifts
• Atlanta Public Library District gave library funds away as Christmas gifts
• Plainfield Fire District gifted funds for flowers, massages, Christmas gifts, etc
• Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department gifted away public funds as Christmas gifts
• and many, many more

At least one State’s Attorney has issued a written opinion on the gifting of public funds for things such as Christmas gifts, or for this letter, bereavement flowers, etc.

The bottom line? It violates the constitution’s requirement of a public purpose, see Article VIII, Section 1. This must stop as it is abusive to tax payers and rate payers.

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As we have previously noted, Christmas Bonuses for public employees, or bonuses of any kind, violate state law (Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution and the Wage Payment and Collection Act) when there are no written employment agreements spelling out such bonuses, along with measurable results required to obtain said bonuses.

According to the Illinois Administrative Code for the Wage Payment and Collection Act, “An employee has a right to an earned bonus when there is an unequivocal promise by the employer and the employee has performed the requirements set forth in the bonus agreement between the parties and for all of the required conditions for receiving the bonus set forth in the bonus agreement have been met.”

These gifts may also run afoul of the Illinois Criminal Code:

(720 ILCS 5/33E-16)
Sec. 33E-16. Misapplication of funds.
(a) An officer, director, agent, or employee of, or affiliated in any capacity with any unit of local government or school district commits misapplication of funds when he or she knowingly misapplies any of the money, funds, or credits of the unit of local government or school district.
(b) Sentence. Misapplication of funds is a Class 3 felony.

Without the written agreement, any bonuses are an impermissible gifting of public funds.

2023 reg mtg Nov 20