By Nick Reiher

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant is proposing a $791 million budget for 2025-26, which she said includes a decrease in the county’s portion of residents’ property tax bills.

“This budget is balanced, continues the progress we have made, and helps to prepare us for the future,” Bertino-Tarrant said in her budget address at the August 21 Will County Board meeting.

“It provides $1 million for an annual contribution to the Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust Fund and dedicates $475,000 for IMRF-accelerated pension payments, ensuring future financial stability.

“It also provides $6.9 million to meet our debt obligations and continue our stability with the rating agencies. This coincides with our ongoing pursuit of a $200 million bond refinancing that could save the county millions of dollars.”

The proposed $791 million budget, down from her $832 million for the current fiscal year, includes $282 million for the operating budget and $509 million for special funds.

“The proposed budget does not include the full allowable levy, Bertino-Tarrant said. “I am recommending a 2 percent CPI and New Property, maximizing the rapid pace of commercial growth throughout the county.

“That growth has increased our Estimated Assessed Value by 8.3 percent and has led to another tax rate decrease, from .5129 percent to .4884.

“This budget ensures stability in the face of fiscal realities, such as an increase in operating costs across the board and the overall rising cost of doing business due to economic conditions. …”

“… These priorities include the need for proactive investments into the core priorities I mentioned earlier. This includes our responsibility to properly fund local healthcare services in the face of federal spending reductions.

“As you are aware, the Will County Health Department leadership and board has raised the alarm that federal cuts and reductions will impact critical programs that have proved successful in recent years to keep our most vulnerable communities healthy.

“With these looming federal cuts, it is now more important than ever to invest in preventative health programs.”

As such, Bertino-Tarrant said, the proposed budget includes using $1 million in Cannabis Sales Tax funds to maintain Health Department services, and $750,000 in Opioid Settlement funds to maintain preventive substance abuse programs.

“As always, this budget is the start of a conversation. In crafting this proposal, we aimed to meet the growing list of needs within the county, align with our priorities, and plan for the future, all while spending within our means.”

Will County Board members will discuss the proposal before voting on it at their November 20 board meeting. The new fiscal year begins Dec. 1, 2025.

In the State of the County portion of her report, Bertino-Tarrant also touted the work of the 911 Communications Center, which handled over 375,000 calls last year, and the opening of the new Veterans Assistance Commission office at the former Silver Cross property on Copperfield Avenue to help expand services for the more than 26,000 veterans in the county.

She said the county will be working with the Will County Center for Economic Development on a study to address housing needs. And the county will continue to evaluate and address increased truck traffic.

The county’s $756 million Transportation Improvement Plan includes a $20 million overpass on Lorenzo Road over the BNSF Railroad in Wilmington, preliminary engineering on improvements to Wilmington-Peotone Road between interstates 55 and 57, and moving forward on the rail crossing overpass in New Lenox to improve connections between local neighborhoods, Lincoln-Way West High School and Silver Cross Hospital.

“We also know that our residents need more than a countywide transportation system to fully access our economic potential.

“As a county, we need to ensure that residents have connectivity to transit options that can take them throughout the region. I’ve been closely involved with the ongoing discussions at the state level to reform our region’s mass transit agencies and ensure that Will County taxpayers have a seat at the table and the transportation access they deserve.

“As we plan for continued growth, we need to be clear-eyed about our current national economics. I am not an alarmist, but we know we need to be prepared for what may or may not come our way.”

Nick Reiher is editor of Farmers Weekly Review.