Ella Tinsley was there for WROY/WRUL News and has the details…
Before the Hamilton County Board met, the Road & Bridge Committee held a meeting to discuss several items of business regarding road maintenance (including Dale Road, Edgar’s Road, and Rural Hills Road; additionally, brush cutting along highways and prepping roads for future work was discussed as part of the MFT Maintenance discussion.
The Hamilton County Board met at the courthouse on June 17, 2026, and covered departmental updates, financial actions, and a notable community funding decision. Representative Paula Hatfield from the Hamilton County 4-H highlighted strong youth engagement in summer activities, and board members thanked local organizations, also reporting that the McLeansboro Farmers Market is in full swing every Wednesday.
From department reports, written and verbal updates showed generally stable finances from the Treasurer, grant reimbursements, and a semi-annual report from the Clerk & Recorder, EMA activity and safety planning at Dolan Lake, updated communications equipment and upcoming CPR classes from ETSB, and ongoing FY27 budget work plus a county-specific waste management plan from Administrative Services. The Health Department, Animal Control, and Ambulance Service did not have a department report.
The meeting also briefly moved through items of the consent agenda covering salaries, reimbursements, tax receipts, and lease payments, which were approved. No bids were received for the planned second-floor courthouse bathroom renovation, so that project is delayed.
Key board actions included the County Clerk’s semi-annual report for Dec 2025–May 2026 was approved; juror pay is planned to be increased to meet state requirements.
Additionally, the Clerk was authorized to switch to Governmental Business Systems, Inc., for software and maintenance to save costs and improve service; claims were reviewed and approved; and an engineering services agreement was authorized for infrastructure work in
South Twigg Township.
Most notably, Shayla Wagner-Hernandez requested support from the County Opioid Funds for her Recovery Month community event, planned to be hosted at the fairgrounds (in September, with October as a backup), asking for $7,000–$10,000 under the expectation she
will keep receipts and a post-event impact report. Legal limits restrict settlement funds to opioid-related programming; after discussion, the board agreed to fund up to $6,800 (about 80% of the event for opioid-focused portions) pending documentation and an agreement. The supported programming will include Narcan training, peer support professionals, and opioid-focused education, while other recovery topics may be funded from different sources.
The board also reappointed Carrie Ragan and Wayne Morris and appointed Josh Lemke to the Hamilton Memorial Hospital Board through 2029.