Will County Board Approves $832 Million 2025 Budget

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant and Will County leaders have announced the approval of a balanced Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget. The budget, which prioritizes public safety spending, was voted on at the November 21 county board meeting.

The county board approved an $832 million budget that includes $273 million for the corporate fund, which is used for county operations, and $558 million for various special funds that are restricted for a specific purpose, such as motor fuel taxes, departmental fees, and entities governed by their own boards.

Public safety was prioritized in the FY2025 budget, with public safety and judicial operations making up 62 percent of the county’s operating budget. The budget allocated funding for 19 new judicial and public safety positions, including 13 court security officers in the Sheriff’s Department as part of the continued transition from deputies serving in court security roles. The increase in court security officers will shift existing courthouse deputies to other duties, including patrol and response.

The budget also outlines a five-year Capital Improvement Plan, with $8.5 million of projects identified in the upcoming fiscal year. The largest allocation is $3.5 million for the county-owned building at 1300 Copperfield in Joliet, which will be retrofitted to become a unified Veteran Assistance and Support Center. The goal of the project is to house the Veterans Assistance Commission and other veteran organizations at the county-owned office building, creating a unified “one-stop shop” for veteran services.

Also included is funding for a consolidated county website project, which aims to reduce the number of independent county websites, improve transparency, and improve how residents can access services. The project is funded by reimbursed funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency from COVID-19 expenses.

Various public safety and social service agencies also are receiving allocations with revenue from the State of Illinois Cannabis Sales Tax. These include $450,000 for a Housing Stabilization Program, $345,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Center, $257,000 for the Elevate Will County Child Care Provider Grant, and $225,000 for the county’s Problem Solving Courts.

Will County continues to maintain a AA credit rating from Moody’s Ratings, which praised the county in October for a strong financial position due to “conservative financial management and growing revenue.” The ratings agency said Will County’s “excellent” credit position is strengthened by “strong budgetary management with multiyear planning and strong transparency.”

In other business, for a second time, the board postponed an up or down vote on a special use permit for a sprawling solar energy plant that would be located in the Reed-Custer area, covering 3,500+ acres.  In nearly three hours of public comment, all from residents near the proposed project, objections to it included effects on groundwater and other environmental concerns. The board first delayed a vote in September and now won’t give the up or down vote until the February 20, 2025 meeting. Some members of the panel complained the State of Illinois has final say on whether or not the project can move forward. That means if the county board were to vote no, based on constituent wishes, the state could take the county to court to overturn if the project meets all standards, which it appears it does.