Special Called City Council Meeting – January 23, 2026

 

City of Benton

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

1. 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 Story Yes
Commissioner Garavalia Yes
Commissioner Hayes Yes
Mayor Messersmith Yes

A quorum was present.

2. 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.

3. Agenda Item 2 – Approval of City Auditors

Commissioner Case presented a proposal to replace the City’s current auditor (Atlas) with Lauterbach & Ammon 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 & Ammon 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 incomplete audits.

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

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

Vote:

Member Vote
Cockrum Yes
Story Yes
Garavalia Yes
Hayes Yes
Mayor Messersmith Yes

Motion passed unanimously.

4. Agenda Item 3 – Fire Pension Fund Accounting Services

Commissioner Case and City Treasurer John Dougherty presented a proposal for Lauterbach & Ammon 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 Story moved to table the item to allow further discussion with department members.
Seconded by Commissioner Hayes.

Vote on Motion to Table:

Member Vote
Cockrum No
Story Yes
Garavalia Yes
Case No
Mayor Messersmith No

Motion to table failed.

Final Motion

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

Vote:

Member Vote
Cockrum Yes
Story No
Garavalia No
Case Yes
Mayor Messersmith Yes

Motion passed (3–2).

5. Agenda Item 4 – Police Pension Fund Accounting Services

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

Vote:

Member Vote
Cockrum Yes
Story No
Garavalia No
Case Yes
Mayor Messersmith Yes

Motion passed (3–2).

6. Adjournment

Commissioner Cockrum moved to adjourn.
Seconded by Commissioner Garavalia.

Vote: Unanimous

The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:26 p.m.