At its meeting Thursday, the Will County Board approved its annual budget for Fiscal Year 2022.
About the Budget
It includes $793 million and is used to fund a variety of county government services, programs and initiatives that residents rely on year after year.
County Board Finance Committee Chairman Kenneth Harris said the annual budget is balanced and shows the county’s longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility.
The annual budget has increased funding this time for public safety agencies, the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center and the Will-Ride transportation program.
County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant gave thanks to everyone involved in advancing the county’s budget.
“I applaud the County Board for acting on a budget that increases critical services for our residents, while holding the line on taxes,” County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement. “This balanced budget represents months of hard work to ensure funding for agencies and services that will be key for county-wide economic growth.”
Also as part of the budget, the county is looking to invest in its infrastructure. Some of the projects to be funded include a new county morgue and renewable gas facility.
“Continuing to prioritize our infrastructure network puts us on a path towards economic strength, while reducing congestion and increasing roadway safety,” Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement. “We are also working to ensure that infrastructure funding includes public transportation, providing funds for our Will-Ride program that coincides with a $200,000 grant from Pace Suburban Bus that will go towards a study identifying opportunities to expand the paratransit system.”
Harris said it is clear that Will County has continued to see growth.
“Over the last four years, the county’s tax base has increased 4.5%,” Harris said. “The equalized assessed value of Will County property has increased by $1 billion since 2020.”
Corporate Tax Levy
Also at the meeting, officials approved the county’s corporate property tax levy. This year makes for the fifth consecutive time the county board has reduced the amount of property taxes to levy from residents.
Officials anticipate that the decisions made by the county board will be realized as a cost savings to tax payers.
Naperville News 17’s Megann Horstead reports.
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