Amended complaint is filed

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PRINCETON — Bureau County State’s Attorney Patrick Herrmann has filed an 18-page amended complaint against the Bureau County Board on behalf of his client, Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus.

The amended complaint, filed Wednesday in Bureau County Court, follows the March 4 decision by Circuit Judge Joseph Hettle to allow the county board’s motion to dismiss Hieronymus’ original complaint, filed in October 2007.

Hieronymus’ complaint is based on the October 2007 action by the Bureau County Board to cut $18,000 from her clerk hire budget. The budget cut violates a collective bargaining agreement with her employees and also prevents her from having enough staff to handle all the state-mandated duties of her office, Hieronymus said.

Attorney Gary Smith, representing the Bureau County Board, filed the motion to dismiss in December 2007, saying Hieronymus’ complaint was too vague and failed to give specific examples validating her claims.

In Wednesday’s amended complaint, Herrmann presented about 16 pages of responsibilities, functions and duties mandated by the state of Illinois for the county clerk’s office. The amended complaint gives examples of various state-mandated responsibilities which Hieronymus claims cannot be handled well because of the staff budget cuts authorized by the county board.

Hieronymus currently employs seven deputy clerks, which is the same number she has employed since 1996, when she began her duties as Bureau County Clerk and Recorder. The seven deputy county clerks are entitled, collectively to 24 weeks of vacation in the 2009 fiscal year, which ends Nov. 30.

Hieronymus can not perform all of her statutory functions, powers and duties required by law with a reduction in staff of one deputy clerk, Herrmann said in the amended complaint.

On behalf of his client, Herrmann asks the court to direct the Bureau County Board to adopt a new budget or to amend the current budget, reinstating Hieronymus’ clerk hire line item to $181,236.

The next court hearing on the Hieronymus complaint is set for April 15 before Judge Hettle in the LaSalle County Courthouse in Ottawa.

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