Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1944 [PAGE 796]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1943]

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

793

of Chapman and Cutler to provide legal services in acquiring land for the Airport. (See page 492 for further report on the basis for these charges.) Mr. Farr has submitted a bill for $1,000 for his services as negotiator. Chapman and Cutler have submitted the following bills for their services: Burt, Fisher, Koss, and Stout properties $1 500 Hall property 100 Troutman and McMahon properties 150 Kimmel property 300 In connection with the purchase of the Hall property (Minutes, October 29, 1943, page 723) allowance was made for attorney fees up to $250. This sum is payable to Harry B. Boyer of Champaign, Illinois. There is a sufficient balance in the appropriation from general funds for the purchase of the Kimmel and Troutman land to pay the bill for legal services on that land. There is not a sufficient balance in the $250,000 special State appropriation for land and other expenses connected with the Airport to pay the remaining $2,925 of the foregoing list of fees. Authorization for the payment of these several bills is requested, and an appropriation of $2,925 for this purpose from the General Reserve is suggested. On motion of Mr. Jensen, these payments were authorized and the appropriation was made, by the following vote: Aye, Mr. Fornof, M r s . Grigsby, Mr. Jensen, Mr. Livingston, Mr. McKelvey, Mr. Nickell; no, n o n e ; absent, Mr. Davis, Mr. Green, Mr. Karraker, Dr. Luken, Dr. Meyer.

FEDERAL W I T H H O L D I N G TAX PROCEDURE

At this point, the Comptroller explained briefly to the Board the problems arising in connection with withholding federal taxes required under the current T a x Payment Act of 1943. T h e State Auditor, with the approval of the Attorney General, has ruled that he must act as withholding agent on all payrolls drawn against State appropriations. Recently the State Auditor requested that the Comptroller furnish him record cards of all University employees on which a record of taxes and earnings can be compiled for 1944. T h e Comptroller has endeavored to get State officials to permit the University to act as the withholding agent on State funds the same as it does on University funds, but without success. T h e present procedure adds greatly to the burden of clerical work in both the State Auditor's Office and University offices and necessitates duplicate records in both offices and with increased cost to the State. In most other states the universities are acting as the withholding agents. The Comptroller requested the Board to endeavor to secure such an arrangement in this state and suggested that, if necessary, the Board might give a bond to the State Auditor of Public Accounts to protect the latter as to any possible liability on University payrolls, which at the most would be slight. O n motion of Mr. Fornof, the matter was referred to the Committee on General Policy with power to act, including authority to engage legal services necessary but without authority to make an obligation in the form of a bond or otherwise without approval of the Board.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE AND EMPLOYEES

At this point, Mr. Jensen presented the following report: 1. On August 31, 1943, the Board approved, on recommendation of this Committee, a schedule of rates of pay for employees in the Research and Edu-