Latest News

County Clerk and County Board Take Major "Open Government" Steps
Carlinville - Carlinville – Evidenced by the expansion of the Freedom of Information Act, it is clear that members of the general public are gaining more and more access to all public records much to the call for more “open government” processes. Macoupin County Clerk Pete Duncan and Board Chairman Andy Manar took recent action to take things a step further.

At the January meeting of the County Board, County Clerk Duncan made note of the release of www.macoupincode.com which now houses thousands of resolutions and ordinances adopted by the County Board, dating back as far as 1973. In addition, recorded minutes of the County Board meetings from December 1972 forward are also posted on the website. “Not only are all of these documents truly open to the public, but... read more

Macoupin County Board Opposes Closure of Springfield Postal Facility
Carlinville - From Shipman north to Virden, all zip codes that begin with “626” in Macoupin County have the potential to be greatly affected by a change underway by the United States Postal Service.

“As a County Board, this is an issue that we should take a stand on knowing that it will impact not just communities in Macoupin County but all of Central Illinois as a region,” said Board Chairman Andy Manar. “What is at stake here is the loss of 400 regional jobs and a mail delivery system that is less efficient and more costly for... read more

Small Business Saturday Proclaimed in Macoupin

Macoupin County – Board Chairman, Andy Manar, with Shop Local Supporters signed a Proclamation recognizing Small Business Saturday throughout Macoupin County on November 26. Small Business Saturday is the day we celebrate the Shop Small movement by supporting small businesses in Macoupin.

“Shops like Toprani’s are a great example of a hidden jewel in Macoupin that needs our support this holiday season,” said Chairman Manar. “With the lowest sales tax around at 6.25%, shopping in Macoupin just makes sense.”

Macoupin Economic Development Partnership’s Macoupin Matters Shop Local effort is encouraging every small business in Macoupin to get involved and...read more

Macoupin County Board Renews Support for Clean Coal Power Plant
Macoupin County – At the October 11th meeting of the Macoupin County Board, the 26 members present signed a letter to Governor Pat Quinn and the four state Legislative leaders asking for support of legislation to help facilitate the building of the Taylorville Energy Center in Christian County. This letter comes in addition to a resolution adopted by the Board in November of 2010 supporting the Taylorville Energy project which said, in part:

The County Board of Macoupin County, Illinois hereby supports the Taylorville Energy Center IGCC plant with carbon capture, which provides a new market for... read more

SEPTEMBER 2011 UPDATE FROM THE COUNTY BOARD
Macoupin County – Last week, the Macoupin County Board took action on several important initiatives geared toward budget stability and long term planning.

“Our most recent meeting showed that our Board is continuing to engage in sound budgeting with our eye on the future and long term needs of the County” said Board Chairman Andy Manar. “Adopting a zero-growth budget shows we value the importance of spending taxpayer dollars wisely. We also know that we have to... read more

County Receives $630,000 in Federal Funding to Make Upgrades
to Brighton-Bunker Hill Road
Carlinville - More than three months ago, Macoupin County applied for a competitive grant with the Illinois Department of Transportation, seeking funding for a $700,000 project to improve safety standards at the intersection of Fosterburg Road and Brighton-Bunker Hill Road in southwestern Macoupin County. The County was recently informed that its request to obtain 90% of the funding necessary to complete the $700,000 project was approved.

The County applied for the federal funding through the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) / High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP). A major goal of the HSIP is seek out projects that work to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes. One of the specific emphasis areas within the HSIP relates to... read more

Alton Telegraph: Macoupin Sets an Example for Others