Clark County Board Approves New VOIP Phone System for Courthouse

Spread the love

Clark County Board Regular Meeting | May 15, 2026

Article Summary: The Clark County Board on May 15, 2026, unanimously approved a VOIP phone system after the county’s IT director reported the current system keeps going down and having to be reset. The minutes record no cost, no contract term, and no vendor agreement.

Courthouse Phone System Key Points:

  • IT Director Alex Carrell said the current phone system has been going down and requiring resets.
  • The Health Department is already using the Gibson system and really likes it; Carrell’s goal is to have the whole county on the same system.
  • Steve McGee with Gibson said the change has the potential to save the county money and would add mobile app capability and voicemail-to-email.
  • The motion by Todd Kuhn, seconded by Brandon Burkybile, passed unanimously. No price appears anywhere in the record.

CLARK COUNTY — The Clark County Board on Friday, May 15, 2026, unanimously approved a VOIP phone system for the courthouse, acting on a recommendation from the county’s information technology director after repeated failures of the existing system.

IT Director Alex Carrell informed the board that the current phone system has been having issues with it going down and having to be reset, according to the minutes. The Health Department is currently using the Gibson system and really likes it, Carrell said, and his goal is to have the whole county on the same system.

Steve McGee with Gibson told the board the change has the potential to save the county money and upgrade the current system, the minutes record. McGee cited mobile app capability and voicemail-to-email options among the features.

Kuhn moved for approval and Burkybile seconded. All members present voted aye, and Chairman Rex Goble declared the motion adopted. The minutes note “(See attached)” following the vote.

Approved without a price in the record

The attachment referenced in the minutes was not among the materials released for the meeting, and the minutes themselves contain no dollar figure. The record does not state what the system will cost, what the county is paying now, how much money McGee’s potential savings would amount to, over what term, whether the purchase covers the courthouse alone or the countywide rollout Carrell described as his goal, or whether a contract, quote or proposal was before the board when it voted.

The board’s agenda carries the item as “Discuss and Possible Approval of VOIP Phone System for Courthouse.” The minutes’ own heading drops the courthouse reference and reads simply “Discuss and Possible Approval of VOIP Phone System.”

Gibson is not further identified in the record. The company appears on the meeting’s attendance line as McGee’s affiliation and nowhere else. The minutes do not give its full legal name, its location, or the nature of its business beyond the phone system the Health Department uses.

The attachment referenced in the minutes is the document that would supply the cost and the terms.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to toss stay in National Guard case

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to toss stay in National Guard case

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Trump administration on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to drop a stay preventing the president from federalizing and deploying the National Guard to...
GOP candidates: Illinois families struggle while Pritzker wins in Las Vegas

GOP candidates: Illinois families struggle while Pritzker wins in Las Vegas

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker was a big winner in Las Vegas, but his Republican rivals say the governor’s...

WATCH: Pritzker wants immigration enforcement, just not Trump’s way

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is not for open borders and wants immigration law enforced, just...
Trump tells Dems to 'stop the madness' after three weeks of government shutdown

Trump tells Dems to ‘stop the madness’ after three weeks of government shutdown

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Despite the government shutdown dragging on for three weeks, Republican leaders remain convinced that Democrats will eventually fold on their health care demands and vote...
Trump, Putin meeting in Hungary called off

Trump, Putin meeting in Hungary called off

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square The in-person meeting between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has apparently been called off, days after it was announced the two leaders had planned...
WATCH: Businesses argue Congress holds purse strings in tariff challenge

WATCH: Businesses argue Congress holds purse strings in tariff challenge

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Lawyers challenging President Donald Trump's tariff authority say the president is acting contrary to what the nation's founders intended. A group of small businesses argue...
Report: FEMA under Biden politically discriminated against Americans

Report: FEMA under Biden politically discriminated against Americans

By Alan WootenThe Center Square Reports of FEMA disaster assistance teams in 2024 bypassing homes displaying signs supporting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump were true and were indicative of a pattern...
Trump begins accepting $100k visa payments

Trump begins accepting $100k visa payments

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Trump administration officially started accepting $100,000 payments for H-1B visas. On Sept. 19, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on future...
Vance optimistic with Gaza peace plan; reiterates no U.S. troops to be on the ground

Vance optimistic with Gaza peace plan; reiterates no U.S. troops to be on the ground

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square No U.S. troops will be on the ground in Gaza, Vice President JD Vance reassured Americans during a visit to Israel on Tuesday. “There are...
Poll: Majority of Americans do not support National Guard to deter crime

Poll: Majority of Americans do not support National Guard to deter crime

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square As President Donald Trump continues to deploy troops into American cities in an effort to reduce crime, more than half of Americans said they do...
‘Legal minefield:’ Biometrics reforms needed to keep IL tech biz growing

‘Legal minefield:’ Biometrics reforms needed to keep IL tech biz growing

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square For the past year, business leaders, attorneys and others in Illinois and beyond have watched to see how the courts and the...
Senior Fred Thomas delivers a game-changing play, sacking the Olney quarterback, stripping the ball, and making the recovery to give the Warriors possession in the second quarter.

Warriors Fall to Olney 28-27 in Heartbreaking Battle for Little Illini Title

Featured image caption: Senior Fred Thomas delivers a game-changing play, sacking the Olney quarterback, stripping the ball, and making the recovery to give the Warriors possession in the second quarter....
As military branches celebrate 250 years, Democrats vote against paying them

As military branches celebrate 250 years, Democrats vote against paying them

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square In addition to U.S. Senate Democrats voting 11 times to keep the government shut down, they’ve also voted against funding U.S. military personnel, many of...
Chicago transit violent crime at 7 year high, funding concerns persist

Chicago transit violent crime at 7 year high, funding concerns persist

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – With federal authorities now threatening to cut Chicago Transit Authority funding due to rising violence across...
WATCH: National Guard case before SCOTUS; Trump insists China soybean deal coming

WATCH: National Guard case before SCOTUS; Trump insists China soybean deal coming

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews the latest...