On Nov. 16, the Will County Board approved the county’s $815 million fiscal year 2024 budget.
$272 million is allotted to county operations through the corporate fund, with $543.2 million put toward various special funds.
Funding for public safety challenges
Included within the budget is funding for public safety challenges, with the addition of six public safety positions, a boost to prosecutors’ salaries, and a $1.3 million allotment to efforts to reduce recidivism
“I appreciate that the Board has approved a balanced budget that prioritizes public safety and ensures that county government can meet the needs of residents,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant in a press release.
About $3 million in funds generated from the cannabis sales tax and multi-county opioid settlement will help with those efforts. Some of the allotments are:
- $450,000 for the housing stabilization program , which is Will County’s eviction diversion program
- $180,000 to workforce services to help set up employment for those who’ve been through the criminal justice system
- $345,000 for Children’s Advocacy Center operations
- $200,000 to help expand mental health services to inmates at the sheriff’s adult detention facility
- $750,000 for problem solving courts, focused on improvements at recovery homes
- $250,000 for the Rapid Response Program, a substance abuse program which works to tackle the opioid crisis
$10 million for capital projects
More than $10 million in the budget will go toward capital projects. Some notable improvements on the docket include a $4.5 million roof replacement on the Adult Detention Facility, $1.3 million for tasers for the sheriff’s department, a $385,000 upgrade to the Health Department Community Health Center’s call center, and $150,000 for local stormwater initiatives, boosting water quality and addressing flood issues.
The budget also includes a $200,000 investment in the county’s Will-Ride Program, improving transportation for seniors and those with disabilities within the eastern part of the county.
Environmental improvements budgeted
The county has also put some funds toward environmental issues, including dollars toward the recycling and reuse program.
Some money toward the county’s green initiatives comes from the first year of revenue from the County’s Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Plant.
The county’s fiscal year 2024 starts Dec. 1, 2024.
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