Special Meeting Minutes – January 21, 2026

City of Benton

901 Public Square, Benton, IL

Special City Council Meeting
January 23, 2026 – 3:00 PM

Call to Order

Mayor Messersmith called the Special City Council Meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

Roll Call:

Official	Present
Commissioner Cockrum	Yes
Commissioner Storey	Yes
Commissioner Garavalia	Yes
Commissioner Kays	Yes
Mayor Messersmith	Yes

A quorum was present.

Agenda Item 1 – Hiring Committee Update

Commissioner Cockrum reported on behalf of the hiring committee that five candidates had been interviewed for an open position. The committee’s selected candidate declined the job offer.

Action:
No action was taken. The committee will reconvene to determine next steps.

Agenda Item 2 – Approval of City Auditors

Commissioner Kays presented a proposal to replace the City’s current auditor (Atlas) with Lauterbach & Amen LLP, a municipal auditing firm based in Naperville, Illinois.

Key points included:

Atlas has repeatedly failed to deliver audits on time, causing issues with grant compliance and revenue receipts.
Lauterbach & Amen specializes in municipal audits and already serves the City’s police and fire pension funds.
Proposed three-year audit contract:
- FY 2026: $57,100
- FY 2027: $60,000
- FY 2028: $63,000
The City paid Atlas $145,815 over the previous two years for late and not as thorough audits.

Council members and staff emphasized the importance of accurate, timely, and thorough audits, especially as the City pursues more grant funding.

Motion:
Commissioner Kays moved to approve Lauterbach & Amen LLP as City Auditors for the term April 30, 2026 – April 30, 2029.
Seconded by Commissioner Garavalia.

Vote:

Member	Vote
Cockrum	Yes
Storey	Yes
Garavalia	Yes
Kays	Yes
Mayor Messersmith	Yes

Motion passed unanimously.

Agenda Item 3 – Fire Pension Fund Accounting Services

Commissioner Kays and City Treasurer John Dougherty presented a proposal for Lauterbach & Amen to provide accounting and pension administration services for the Benton Fire Pension Fund.

Services include:

Online pension portals for retirees and active members
Monthly account tracking
Compliance and reporting to the Illinois Department of Insurance
Ongoing verification to prevent improper payments
Direct support for pensioners

It was noted that the City (not the pension fund) would pay for the service. Pension funding levels were discussed, with the City being above the statewide average and on track for required funding targets.

Some concern was raised regarding whether the pension boards had approved the change. Legal counsel had advised that City approval must occur first before pension boards ratify the agreement.

Motion to Table

Commissioner Garavalia moved to table the item to allow further discussion with department members.
Seconded by Commissioner Storey.

Vote on Motion to Table:

Member	Vote
Cockrum	No
Storey	Yes
Garavalia	Yes
Kays	No
Mayor Messersmith	No

Motion to table failed.

Final Motion

Commissioner Kays moved to approve Lauterbach & Amen for accounting services for the Benton Fire Pension Fund.
Seconded by Commissioner Cockrum.

Vote:

Member	Vote
Cockrum	Yes
Storey	No
Garavalia	No
Kays	Yes
Mayor Messersmith	Yes

Motion passed (3–2).

Agenda Item 4 – Police Pension Fund Accounting Services

Commissioner Kays moved to approve Lauterbach & Amen for accounting services for the Benton Police Pension Fund.
Seconded by Commissioner Cockrum.

Vote: