Will County Board Backs $10 Million State Public Health Grant Increase Amid Funding Cuts

Legislative Committee Meeting | March 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Legislative Committee unanimously approved a resolution supporting a state legislative push to increase the Local Health Protection Grant by $10 million statewide to sustain essential, state-mandated public health services. The request prompted a debate among committee members over whether the federal or state government bears the primary blame for recent budget reductions.

Local Health Protection Grant Key Points:

• Resolution 26-4370 supports the passage of Senate Bill 2766 and House Bill 4579, which would increase the statewide Local Health Protection Grant (LHPG) from $20 million to $30 million.

• Will County would receive an estimated $300,000 boost if the legislation is enacted.

• Illinois currently ranks 40th nationally in public health investment, providing approximately $1.60 per resident for core services.

• The resolution was spearheaded by the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium (NIPHC) and passed the committee in a unanimous vote.

The Will County Legislative Committee unanimously passed a resolution backing a significant funding boost for local health departments, though the language of the resolution sparked a debate over government accountability.

Resolution 26-4370 throws the county’s official support behind Senate Bill 2766 and House Bill 4579. The legislation seeks a $10 million increase to the state’s Local Health Protection Grant (LHPG), bringing the statewide total to $30 million.

Aishwaria, the Health Equity Manager for the Will County Health Department, explained that the LHPG is the only dedicated state funding stream for core, state-mandated public health services, including environmental health inspections, communicable disease prevention, and contact tracing.

“This is work that we absolutely have to do. It’s required by the state. Otherwise we are not allowed to be a health department,” she told the committee. “We are really trying to come together as health departments all across the state, across northern Illinois, to really advocate for this because… we don’t receive that adequate, robust funding from the state in order to be able to do that and more.”

According to the agenda packet, Illinois currently ranks 40th nationally in public health investment, with only 1 percent of the state health department budget supporting local health departments. That equates to roughly $1.60 per Illinois resident. Aishwaria estimated that Will County’s specific share of the $10 million increase would be approximately $300,000.

However, the drafted resolution’s preamble drew immediate scrutiny from Board Member Julie Berkowicz, who objected to language stating that the federal government had “either not funded or pulled back funding for critical public health initiatives.”

“I would prefer a resolution that focuses strictly on the state because the state is our biggest challenge,” Berkowicz argued. “We continue to get unfunded mandates and obligations from Springfield and they need to hear our message that they have to be more responsible to our government and our taxpayers. So, I would prefer a resolution that’s clear and it’s directed at the state and not both state and federal because I find that this is not very clear.”

Aishwaria clarified that while the $10 million request is directed entirely at the state legislature, the federal government’s recent rollback of pandemic-era grants—including epidemiology and health navigator funding—exacerbated the local deficit. She noted that the resolution was drafted collectively by the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium.

Board Member Kelly Hickey expressed her support for the measure, emphasizing the foundational necessity of the services.

“These seem like very basic things to ensure that the people of Will County have the best health that we can possibly offer them in the environment,” Hickey said. “I’m not really sure that sending a message is necessarily what we want to do. We just want to take care of our people.”

The committee ultimately voted unanimously to advance the resolution to the full Will County Board for final approval.