FAYETTE COUNTY — Another Southern Illinois county is taking legal steps to force the State to make good on payments withheld due to the budget impasse.

Fayette County on Tuesday night announced at its monthly board meeting that it will follow other counties that have filed lawsuits seeking reimbursement for salary payments to the state’s attorney, public defender and supervisor of assessments offices.

St. Clair County was the first to file such a lawsuit and won their case in court, with the funds they sought ultimately being released. However, the ruling was not a mandate that funds be released to other counties, so  Williamson, Union, Bond, Gallatin and Franklin Counties followed the lead and filed their own lawsuits in the last month.