Will County Board OKs 2022 budget with more funding for social services

The Will County Board approved its budget for fiscal year 2022 at its meeting Thursday.

The $793 million budget included increased funding for public safety, the county’s Children’s Advocacy Center and public transportation, according to a news release.

Member Ken Harris, D-Bolingbrook, who chairs the board’s Finance Committee, said the budget is balanced, “is fiscally responsible and also ensures that the county will be able to provide the services our residents depend upon.”

The county’s budget is made up of about $251.2 million for its corporate fund, which covers the county’s daily operations. The other $541.8 million is dedicated to special funds, which are for agencies like the county health department.

The budget includes $350,000 for the United Way of Will County to develop a unified 211 system, which would aim to connect residents to mental health support and other social services.

“It’s important for us to recognize that mental health issues have increased during the pandemic,” Board Speaker Mimi Cowan, D-Naperville, said in a statement.” “The (211) system will provide critical mental health support for residents and reduce the burden on our emergency call centers and social service agencies.”

The board included $300,000 in addition to the $100,000, which it already contributes to the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, which helps law enforcement investigate cases of sexual and physical abuse against children ages 3 to 17.

Another $300,000 will fund Will-Ride, a dial-a-ride service that operates in the eastern part of the county.

The budget also allocated additional funding for the county sheriff’s office to hire more deputies to work security at the county courthouse. More positions were added to the state’s attorney’s and public defender’s offices for the increased demands on those agencies, especially with the need to process more police body camera footage in the near future.

Officials said this is the fifth year in a row the county has reduced its property tax rate, which the board was able to approve because of the growing tax base of new residents and businesses.

Harris said the value of property in Will County has increased by about $1 billion since 2020.

Still, the county only accounts for about 6% of the average resident’s property tax bill, so that may not mean they see a tax cut because other local governments may raise or maintain their rates. Local public school districts tend to make up the majority of residents’ property tax bills.

Property taxes make up a little under 40% of the county’s total revenue, according to a spokesman.

Republican members objected to Democratic efforts to increase the county’s tax levy by 1% according to the Consumer Price Index. The annual increase is meant to adjust for inflation.

Harris said the 2022 budget also includes about $5 million of the approximately $133 million the county received through the American Rescue Plan for revenue replacement. The bulk of that money has yet to be allocated, and some members have argued it should be used to long-term programs to benefit residents and local businesses.