Will County budget includes bodycams
Spending boost to fund diversity director, gear for sheriff’s deputies
The Will County budget for 2021 will include funding for body cameras for sheriff’s deputies, hiring a diversity and inclusion director and continuing work to reduce flooding along the DuPage River.
The $718 million budget is up about $142 million over this year and includes roughly $40 million in federal CARES Act funding to reimburse public safety salaries. Despite the budget increase, the county’s property tax rate is expected to dip slightly from 5.84 cents to 5.76 cents for every $100 to assessed value. Tax rates have decreased each of the last six years, said ReShawn Howard, the county’s budget director.
The budget vote Thursday was largely along party lines with Will County Democrats supporting the budget and Republicans casting dissenting votes.
The budget includes:
■ About $100,000 for a disparity study to examine the county’s hiring and contracting practices
■ About $70,000 to hire a diversity and inclusion director for the county. The new hire likely would oversee the disparity study.
■ $1.2 million for 200 body cameras, and storage for the cameras, for sheriff ’s deputies. Though the money is earmarked for the purchase, county board members must still approve the final appropriation to buy the cameras.
■ $427,000 for ongoing improvements and mitigations along the DuPage River to address flooding concerns.
■ $1.5 million for new hires to work in additional courtrooms at the new courthouse. The county will be hiring three circuit clerks, three public defenders, four assistant state’s attorneys and five additional court security officers. The county will use CARES Act funding to cover the salaries of the new employees for the first year.
“It is vital that the county continues to meet the needs of our residents, especially during these uncertain times,” Finance Commitee chair Ken Harris, D-Bolingbrook, said in a news release. “This budget meets those needs.”
Members of the county board’s Republican caucus cast dissenting votes, arguing the county could’ve done more to lessen the burden on taxpayers.
“Many of our residents and small businesses are struggling during the pandemic,” said Mike Fricilone, RHomer Glen. “Will County was in a position to lower the tax burden and continue to provide top-notch services. It is our obligation to keep taxes low and I think we could have reduced the levy further.”
The county expects to take in about $133 million in property taxes, an increase of $4.2 million over this year’s levy. The county is allowed to tax to capture new residential and commercial growth and to increase the levy based on the consumer price index. While Republicans agree on capturing new residential or commercial growth, they have argued against increasing the levy to the fullest amount allowed under the consumer price index.