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March 28, 2024

Shelby County Treasurer Catches Unauthorized Pay Raise To Newly Appointed Acting Engineer Stacy Prosser

By Kirk Allen & John Kraft

On July 20, 2022

Shelby Co. (ECWd) –

A recent comment to this article makes a great point needing to be addressed, and this article is the perfect place to do it.

“Let’s get this over with. Do the things that will fix this and move on for sake.”

While we agree with moving on, wrongdoing will never get fixed without accountability to those who keep violating both policies and laws.

During last week’s meeting, the board voted to appoint Stacy Prosser as the acting engineer.  We note he is not a licensed engineer according to the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulations.  According to the County Chairman, he states anyone can be appointed to that position, which is not what the law says, but more on that in another article.

Prior to the vote, board member Barb Bennett asked if this appointment had any change in pay and the Chairman confirmed it did not.  See the video below.

Less than a week after the board stated in a public session that there was no pay increase for Prosser’s appointment, which Prosser was present to hear at the meeting, he files a false Pay/Benefit Change document with his payroll. False because he gives himself an unauthorized pay raise of $.54 cents an hour.

An email sent by the County Treasurer to the entire board is most telling.

“We have a couple of issues with the highway department payroll.  The attached employee change form was submitted by Stacy Prosser for a .54 cent an hour raise effective July 10.  There was a question asked in the board meeting as to whether or not him being acting engineer would institute a pay raise.  Bryon Coffman clearly said “no”.  Stacy’s anniversary date of hire is November 13.  There is no legitimate reason for this raise.  The other issue is that there is no department head or official signature justifying this raise.  This office will not process this raise until the board approves and directs such action.  Stacy also documented 4 hours of overtime on his timesheet.  The 2 OT hours should be recorded on the date.”

“The second issue is that the employee timesheets are required to be signed by the employee and the department head or official’s signature.  Not one of the timesheets turned in has two signatures.  I would like direction as to who is responsible to verify the time worked by these employees and be the official signature on the timesheets.  I will process these timesheets but moving forward would request the authorizing signature for payment processing.”

It is clear until people are held accountable, things will never get fixed or change in Shelby County.  Submitting unauthorized pay increases for yourself is simply wrong, especially after he sat in the County Board meeting where it was made clear that there was no pay increase for him.

We thank the Treasurer for once again preventing further unauthorized expenditures by county employees.

The big question now is, what will the county board do?  We would not be surprised if the next meeting includes a pay increase for Prosser, which would amount to rewarding bad conduct.

prosser-pay-increase

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7 Comments
  • E. Norma Stitz
    Posted at 19:21h, 20 July

    So does this broad shouldered rip Firnhaber have a direct line to the “dawgz”? Once again the shit sniffers that are the watchdogs are criminalizing people of this county that actively contribute to the betterment of the county on a daily basis. I enjoy how the headline and article both paint the picture that Prosser is somehow stealing from Shelby County. There is a reason good people leave public office and never run for public office. That reason is people like the “Dawgz” that scrutinize every move a person makes. It sounds to me that Firnhaber is quite the trumpeter for the “Dawgz”. People like this wake up everyday and make it their mission to make other peoples lives miserable. They make a work environment so toxic that everything grinds down to where no progress is ever made. You should all be ashamed of how you act and treat other people. Use your abilities to create positive change and not a constant unsettled atmosphere.

    • Kirk Allen & John Kraft
      Posted at 20:28h, 20 July

      Nice try but best to not assume. We got our information from board members, not the treasurer. There was no inferance of a crime being committed.

    • Kathiann54
      Posted at 09:55h, 21 July

      When I was growing up, my brother always garnered most of the attention of my grandparents because he was a habitual offender of the rules and needed to be disciplined….it wasn’t because they loved him less. That’s why Shelby County gets so much attention. It’s their own fault.

      The Watchdogs are not “picking” on Shelby County. The County shoots itself in the foot by not demanding its elected officials follow laws that the average citizen is certainly expected to do..

      • Droopy: Master Detective
        Posted at 18:05h, 21 July

        As the family member of an addict, I agree with you 100%. Does not mean someone does not like but there is a level of accountability.

  • Droopy: Master Detective
    Posted at 08:00h, 21 July

    Culture: set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize an institution or organization.
    Change starts at the top! Board-elected officials-appointed officials then employees.

  • Jack Tarleton
    Posted at 09:06h, 21 July

    Get a grip, Norma! Public officials are required to follow the law, not make it up as they go along. “Good people” know this. Maybe the people in charge in Shelby County need to take a little time the actually read and become familiar with the laws they are supposed to be following. It is not picking on people to expect them to obey the law. It is not good public service to ignore the law, whether out of spite or ignorance.

    • Droopy: Master Detective
      Posted at 18:06h, 21 July

      Spot on!

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