PAXTON — The Ford County Board has concluded the process of putting five properties back into the hands of taxpaying residents.

The board unanimously approved a series of resolutions Monday to turn over the five properties — which were acquired by the county after their real estate taxes went unpaid — to new owners who had bid on the properties during a surplus tax sale. The new owners will be responsible for future tax payments for the properties, Treasurer Judy Hastings said.

The resolutions show that the county will receive a total of $6,411 through the surplus sale — all of which will be distributed back to taxing bodies in the townships where the properties are located.

Lyman Township taxing bodies will receive $2,138, and Peach Orchard Township taxing bodies will receive $4,272. Hastings said.

With the exception of $44 that goes to the recorder of deeds for each property sold, the county’s tax-sale agent, Joseph E. Meyer, will receive the remainder of the sale proceeds.

Three of the five properties were sold to Edwin Miller, who put up bids of $1,550, $1,500 and $1,650. The other properties went to Eloise Hughes, who bid $1,403, and Eric Thompson, who bid $2,678.

Other business
In other business Monday:

— Board member Floyd “Bud” Otto Jr. of rural Roberts said Elliott Road is expected to re-open Wednesday, Aug. 15, now that a structurally unsafe bridge on that road has been replaced.

— Chairman Rick Bowen of Elliott said BP Wind Energy was still working to address “transmission concerns” before moving forward with a proposed wind farm between Gibson City and Sibley.

— Sheriff Mark Doran said he has received a “demand for bargaining” notice from the Fraternal Order of Police Illini Lodge 17, which represents the sheriff’s department’s correctional officers, dispatchers and road deputies. No date for union negotiations has been set yet, Doran said.

— Treasurer Judy Hastings said both revenues and expenditures are below the 67 percent mark they were expected to be at as of Aug. 1 in the 2011-12 fiscal year’s budget.

— Hastings said property tax payments for 2011 have been “coming in slowly over the past month” but that she hopes more payments will be made in upcoming weeks. The second installment of property tax payments is due Sept. 7. A 4 1/2 percent interest penalty is being assessed for property owners who have yet to pay the first installment.

— Vice Chairman Elynor Stagen of Gibson City said the board’s finance committee continues to work with department heads to finalize the 2012-13 budget. Another budget meeting was set for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, in the small court room at the courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.

— Board member Jason Johnson of rural Paxton, who serves as a trustee for the Ford County 911 board, said the 911 board recently met to discuss the ongoing changeover to narrow-band radio frequencies by area fire departments. Some have already had their radios switched to narrow-band, while others will make the change later this month, he said.

— The board approved a resolution appointing Roger Gualandi of rural Kempton as a trustee for the Kempton Fire Protection District.

— The board approved the appointment of drainage commissioners Wayne Niewold, Lloyd G. Anderson, Roger Wycoff, Eugene Froellich, Thomas E. Rock, Michael J. Kane, Darrell Dunahee, Robert Rock, Joseph Adams (to two different districts), Louis Stroh, John E. Smith, Timothy Ifft, Paul D. Flessner and Tim Muehlenpfort.

— Township oil-and-chip work was completed July 23, County Highway Engineer Greg Perkinson said in the minutes for an Aug. 8 highway committee meeting. Perkinson also informed the committee of upcoming expenses, which include the replacement of a steering box in the boom truck at a cost of about $1,200 and the purchase of a new survey level for the engineering department at a cost of $1,100.

— The sheriff said in the minutes of an Aug. 9 sheriff/property committee meeting that a new squad car will be on the road use and that a new trailer was purchased for $2,200.

— Chief Probation Officer Cassy Taylor-Morris said in her written report that 10 new adult cases and three new juvenile cases were filed in July.