In Brief: Ordinance Review Committee Actions

The Will County Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee met June 10 to continue its comprehensive update of the county code. Here are some of the key actions and discussions:

Court Fees Ordinance Approved
The committee approved updates to Chapter 37, which outlines the county’s civil and criminal court fees. The changes align the county’s fee schedule with a recent state-mandated codification. Phil Mock of the State’s Attorney’s office clarified that a fee designated for “new judicial facilities” will remain in place to continue paying off the bonds used to finance the new courthouse. The chapter now moves to the Executive Committee for review.

Unclaimed Property Policy Updated
An update to Chapter 40 will make it easier for the County Treasurer to manage longstanding uncashed checks. The new language allows the Treasurer to turn over funds from checks that have been outstanding for three or more years to the state’s unclaimed property program, known as “ICash.” The move is intended to clean up decades-old records and help residents recover lost funds.

Committee to Streamline Error Correction
After a detailed discussion of typographical and formatting mistakes—so-called “scrivener’s errors”—in previous documents, the committee agreed to handle such minor corrections with staff offline. The move is intended to save “precious committee time” and allow members to focus on the substance of the ordinances under review.

Credit Card Payment Fees Questioned
Committee members raised concerns about the high convenience fees charged to residents paying property taxes with credit or debit cards. The committee requested that staff inquire with the Treasurer’s Office about offering lower-cost electronic payment alternatives, such as e-checks or other wire transfer options, to save taxpayers money.

July Meeting Rescheduled
The committee’s next meeting has been moved from its original date to Tuesday, July 22, at 10:00 AM to accommodate members’ travel schedules.