Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Finance Committee for April 7, 2026

Briefs: Will County Board Finance Committee Meeting | April 7, 2026

The Will County Board Finance Committee met on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, to review and finalize the county’s 2025 tax levy extensions and process standard grant appropriations. The meeting featured presentations from the Chief Financial Officer and the County Auditor, providing updates on major fiscal models, including an ongoing cost analysis for the Village of Homer Glen’s potential independent police department. Additionally, the committee engaged in a unique policy discussion with the County Treasurer regarding the logistical challenges of processing cash property tax payments in the wake of the U.S. Mint discontinuing the penny.

Brooks Middle School Health Center Grant: The committee unanimously approved a $96,926 grant appropriation for the Will County Health Department. According to a memo from Executive Director Elizabeth Bilotta, the funds augment an existing $105,000 Illinois Department of Public Health School Health Center grant designed to improve the physical and emotional health of students at Brooks Middle School in Bolingbrook. The additional funding (Resolution #26-14) will support existing expenses and new line items, including $500 for garbage pick up, $630 for telephone cell service, and $6,062 for subscriptions. The project period runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

Upcoming Department Budget Presentations: Committee Chair Sherry Newquist (D-Steger) announced a scheduling shift for the upcoming 2026 budget process. Rather than holding a separate, special meeting for department heads to present their overall budget needs, the presentations will be integrated into the regular May 5, 2026, Finance Committee meeting. Newquist noted that the presentations will be brief, roughly five minutes each, to highlight major budgetary needs as departments begin their planning processes.