Will County Board approves $793 million budget
The Will County Board unanimously approved a balanced $793 million budget Thursday for its fiscal year 2022, which begins Dec. 1.
Finance chairman Ken Harris said the board is proud to release a balanced budget that does not cut any services to residents.
The county is in good financial health with a diverse and strong tax base and still maintains a AA+ bond rating, said Harris, a Democrat from Bolingbrook.
“This is a balanced budget that reflects the county’s long-standing approach to adopting a fiscally responsible budget,” Harris said.
Harris said over the past four years the county’s tax base has increase 4.5%, and the equalized assessed value of property has increased by $1 billion since 2020.
The budget adds new positions to the state’s attorney’s office, the public defender’s office and the coroner’s office, Harris said. Money allocated to the state’s attorney’s office will help review body camera footage from law enforcement personnel, he said.
Nick Palmer, chief of staff for the county board, said the budget for the Children’s Advocacy Center was increased by $300,000 to $450,000, to help the center counsel children and investigate crimes against children.
Another $300,000 will help the Will-Ride program, which also receives grant money, to help provide transportation for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and those looking to get to work, Palmer said.
The budget provides $350,000 for United Way to develop the county’s first 211 call center for residents seeking mental health support.
Money has also been designated to support capital improvements including building a renewable gas facility and a new county morgue.
The gas facility near Wilmington is expected to cost about $53 million, but will generate revenue for the county when completed, Palmer said. The new county morgue, expected to cost about $7 million, will be on the public safety complex near the New Lenox and Joliet border, he said.
The $793 million budget, which includes $251.2 million in the corporate fund and $541.8 million in special funds, offers a placeholder for federal grants the county expects to receive from the America Rescue Plan Act, which was signed earlier this year to help with pandemic recovery efforts.
Will County is expected to receive about $133 million
in rescue plan funds, which needs to be allocated by December 2024. The county is hiring a consultant to help manage the program and is collecting ideas for spending the money.
Palmer said the county board wants to spend the federal funds wisely, create more opportunities for economic development and make investments that will improve residents’ quality of life.
County salaries
A proposal to offer raises for the clerk and treasurer was voted down, and their
salaries will remain frozen at $93,116 a year.
The county sheriff ’s base salary will start at $114,251 on Dec. 1, 2022 and increase 3% yearly until Dec 1, 2025. The board, by a 17-9 vote, increased the sheriff ’s salary after officials noted it was much lower than surrounding counties of a similar population and area.
The sheriff oversees 650 employees, 400 of whom are sworn personnel, said board member Mica Freeman, who supported the raise. More than 80 employees make more than the sheriff, and the last raise for the sheriff was given in 2007, said Freeman, a Democrat from Plainfield.
Election districts
The board randomly drew which terms board members will serve following the November 2022 election. Recently, the board redrew district boundaries to reflect new census data, and the board voted to reduce the number of districts from 13 two-member districts to 11 two-member districts.
All 22 seats in 11 districts will be up for election in 2022. The new terms will help stagger when the seats are up for reelection until the boundaries are redrawn after the 2030 census.
Board members in districts 1, 2, 8 and 11 will serve a fouryear term, a two-year term and a four-year term.
Officials in districts 3, 4, 5 and 9 will be chosen for two four-year terms and then a two-year term.
Officials in Districts 6, 7 and 10 will serve a two-year term followed by two consecutive four-year terms.