Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Finance Committee for January 6, 2026

Will County Board Finance Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026

Meeting Summary
The Will County Board Finance Committee met on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, to handle a light agenda of routine financial housekeeping. The committee quickly approved tax abatements for general obligation bonds and passed budget adjustments for the Coroner and Health Department. The session was marked by a smooth approval of all agenda items, followed by a sharp procedural disagreement during the “other business” portion of the meeting regarding a stalled education scholarship referendum.

News Briefs

Bond Tax Abatements Approved:
The committee approved two resolutions abating taxes for General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2025A and 2025B. This is a standard annual procedure where the county abates the property tax levy for these bonds because other revenue sources are available and sufficient to pay the debt service for the coming year.

Coroner Receives Grant Funding:
The board approved the appropriation of $5,000 into the Coroner’s Office budget. The funds are from a grant provided by “Missing Pieces” and Lurie Children’s Hospital. The grant supports the SUDORS (State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System) program. The funds were not originally budgeted because the grant award was not guaranteed at the time the fiscal year budget was created.

Health Department Budget Amendment:
Committee members voted to approve a budget amendment within the Will County Health Department’s FY2026 budget. The resolution adjusts the budget by $33,450 to account for projected expenses and revenue for a Community-Wide Cannabis Education and Outreach initiative. The amendment reflects that cannabis funding was not allocated for this specific initiative, requiring non-personnel expenses to be removed.

Routine Transfers and Minutes:
The committee approved a standard FY25 budget transfer to clean up line items from the previous fiscal year. Additionally, the committee formally approved the minutes from the November 4 and November 12, 2025, meetings. Those previous minutes documented the contentious debates regarding the 2025 tax levy and the compromise that led to a 1.75% levy, though no new action was taken on those items Tuesday.