Danville, Ill. (ECWd) –
In a November 3, 2025, letter from the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) to the Vermilion County Board Chairman, IDOT appointed the City of Danville, Illinois, to act as the designated funding recipient for the Downstate Operating Assistance Program (“DOAP”) for CRIS Rural Mass Transit District.
IDOT also froze a capital facility grant to CRIS until things turn around for the agency.
In the letter:
- The audit revealed severe deficiencies in financial management, internal controls, and governance, including:
- For three consecutive years, only 46% of expenditures contain supporting documentation
- Ineligible items charged to grants
- Violations of the Open Meetings Act
- Insufficient payroll documentation
- Significant reliance on credit
- Reliance on a line-of-credit that more than doubled (to $819K) despite receiving $1.19 million in operating grants,
- Failed to demonstrate the fiscal and administrative capacity required to serve as a direct recipient of state and federal assistance
Danville will now serve as the fiscal and administrative agent, responsible for the proper receipt, disbursement, and accounting of all state and federal public transit funds allocated for Vermilion County. IDOT will review this designation on an annual basis.
We would like to thank the Vermilion County Watchdog for bringing this letter to our attention.
IDOT Letter to CRIS Mass Transit
