Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board for March 19, 2026

Will County Board Meeting | March 19, 2026

The Will County Board met on Thursday, March 19, 2026, to handle a diverse agenda that included heavy infrastructure spending, large-scale tax abatements, and regional planning. In addition to approving a $345 million tax abatement for Hyundai Translead and granting a special use permit for a new solar farm in Peotone, the board advanced millions in public works contracts for road and bridge improvements in Green Garden and New Lenox townships. The meeting concluded with tense public comments as members clashed over a colleague’s recent misdemeanor conviction.

Fairmont Neighborhood Plan Update Postponed:
The board was scheduled to vote on Resolution #26-062, which would have formally adopted the “Fairmont Neighborhood Plan Update” into the Will County Land Resource Management Plan. The 2025 update, developed through extensive community surveys, outlined four new goals for the Fairmont area: beautification through clean-ups and code enforcement, improved community engagement, better information dispersal, and the modernization of utilities. However, Land Use and Development Committee Chair Frankie Pretzel requested the item be removed from the day’s agenda and postponed until the May meeting to allow for further review. The board voted 19-0 to postpone the item.

Health Department Suicide Prevention Grant:
The board unanimously approved Resolution #26-074, appropriating unexpended grant funds for the Will County Health Department. The department previously received a $75,000 Suicide Prevention First Responders grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services. The board’s action appropriates $32,107 in rollover funds into the FY2026 budget to continue providing peer support, mental health awareness, and intervention training for first responders and their families through December 31, 2025.

Circuit Court Technology Grant:
The board approved Resolution #26-072, appropriating $50,000 into the Will County Circuit Court’s budget. The funds were awarded by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Illinois Court Technology Modernization Program. The grant money is specifically earmarked for the purchase of new laptop computers for court personnel.

Diamond Enterprise Zone Expansion:
The board approved Ordinance #26-087 and Resolution #26-088, authorizing a joint application to amend the boundaries of the Diamond Enterprise Zone. The expansion adds approximately 109.99 acres (0.17 square miles) of territory to the zone, including unincorporated areas of Will County and the corporate limits of the Village of Braceville. The move also officially adds the Village of Braceville as a new unit of government participating in the Diamond Enterprise Zone, a designation designed to facilitate job creation and promote economic development through specific tax incentives.