Farmers Weekly Review

By Nick Reiher

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is proposing a Fiscal Year 2024 budget of $812 million, up from $782 million.

Due to the county’s continued growth in residential property, the tax levy rate this year is again decreasing to .5498 per $100 of assessed valuation, down from .5733, Bertino-Tarrant said at the August 17 County Board meeting.

“As you know, salary and benefits make an overwhelming total of our corporate fund budget at 71 percent,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “That’s why I appreciate the work of our Human Resources Department in finding cost savings where they can.”

She said that included a $324,000 savings through various transitions and renegotiations, while maintaining benefit levels, and $1.2 million reduction in health insurance fixed costs.

“As we continue to be more proactive in our decision-making to maximize savings, I’m proud to present a budget today that empowers all of our elected officials and department to continue providing quality services to the public,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

“As we begin this process, I have been reiterating more and more that a budget is not just numbers on a spreadsheet. It is a document of priorities. The budgetary decisions we make guide our capacity to provide real assistance to residents throughout the year.

“They also prepare us to deliver quality service in the face of growth. This is a common theme I repeat continuously because we can’t ignore it, and the trend isn’t going to stop. We’re a county of $700,000 people, and this budget reflects our investments in services for our residents.”

The county’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget begins on Dec. 1, 2023. The County Board will vote on it at their Nov. 16, 2023, meeting.

Bertino-Tarrant said her proposed budget continues to prioritize one of the county’s largest responsibilities, public safety, with 40 percent allocated for the Sheriff’s Department and 22 percent allocated for Judicial Services.

“This is a balanced budget that meets our debt obligations and provides sufficient contributions to our long-term benefit accounts,” she said. “And with the help of our Finance Team, under the direction of Karen Hennessy, the county continues to maintain a AA++ bond rating.”

The proposed budget funds 12 new positions in departments and offices that have experienced increased workload over the years, including Court Security, the Supervisor of Assessors Office, State’s Attorney and public defender, she said.

For the second year, Bertino-Tarrant proposes funding for the county’s 211 Helpline, managed by the United Way of Will County.

“211 has revolutionized how residents can connect with resources throughout the county, providing a free, multi-lingual information and referral system,” she said. “In their first year, United Way has already assisted over 2,000 residents.”

Bertino-Tarrant noted the county is continuing to assess its space needs, including long-term investments, such as the newly purchased PACE Heritage garage in Joliet.

“By crafting a more comprehensive vision of capital planning, we can start the processing of reducing or completely eliminating the $1 million spent annually on rent within our county seat,” she said.

“Capital Planning decisions are policy decisions and reflect where we are focusing our priorities. For example, last year’s investment in an expanded Behavioral Health Suite at the Will County Health Department reflected an increased need for mental health services for our communities.

“Another important policy decision within our budget is how to spend our annual revenue from the Illinois Cannabis Sales Tax. Similar to last year, my office listened to this body to identify important services to fund based on our shared priorities.

“These include programs aimed at providing a meaningful impact on underserved communities, such as:

• Our Housing Stabilization program for residents facing eviction
• A re-entry program at our Workforce Services Division aimed at reducing recidivism
• Additional programmatic funding for the Children’s Advocacy Center,
• River Valley’s Court Appointed Special Advocate program, which is aimed at supporting youth in our juvenile justice system who have experienced traumatic events
• And including funding to work with our smaller non-for-profits working with areas impacted by drug use.”

Will County has also received $1.25 million in Opioid Settlement Funding, she said, allowing the county an opportunity to increase support for programs that address the epidemic that has severely impacted all communities.

This funding request includes:

• $825,000 to boost the State’s Attorney’s Problem Solving Courts
• $200,000 for mental health services at the Sheriff’s Adult Detention Facility, and
• $100,000 for the Health Department’s Rapid Response Program

In her annual State of the County address, Bertino-Tarrant highlighted county accomplishments during the past year, including:

• The County Board approving $7.8 million in funding for state-of-the-art voting equipment, supporting County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry’s effort to modernize election operations.
• The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, under State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow, will be moving to a more welcoming, better-situated facility that will create opportunities from expansion.
• A new, larger Will County Coroner’s facility, with Coroner Laurie Summers’ office also navigating significant progress on a digitization effort that will improve efficiency and save money.

Bertino-Tarrant said digitization in all departments has become important as more residents want online services, including a 75 percent increase in online permit submittals through the Land Use Developmental Services Division.

“To keep up with this trend, our departments are finding new ways to use digital tools to reach the public,” she said.

“Earlier this year, our Division of Transportation worked closely with our GIS Division to launch an interactive map to help residents stay up-to-date on construction projects. They also created an interactive Adopt-a-Highway map to make it easier for residents to join this volunteer clean-up program.”

Bertino-Tarrant also noted the county last year became the first in Illinois to allow for battery energy storage facilities in unincorporated areas. These facilities allow for renewable energy to be stored and utilized in periods of high-demand.

“We are also embarking on the first countywide plan in Illinois to prepare for the continued growth of alternative fuel vehicles,” she said.

“This readiness plan, powered by state grant funding, will create a blueprint for our communities as they continue their investment into alternative fuel infrastructure. From our preliminary conversations locally, we can tell that the demand is high.

“This plan is not just for us – It will help all our communities as they plan for the future to meet the needs of their residents and commuters.”

Bertino-Tarrant said the county is not just attracting green energy; they’re producing it.

“Our Renewable Natural Gas Plant began commercial operations in December and is already producing pipeline-quality gas that is being sold on the open market. By converting gas from our Prairie View Landfill into clean transportation fuel, we are helping to power the clean energy revolution in our region.

“A significant revenue source for our future, it has already raised $3.1 million, with much more on the way.”