September 16, 2024
Corine Pierog, Chair
Kane County Board
719 S. Batavia Ave.
Geneva, IL 60134
Dear Chair Pierog,
As a certified financial planner, MBA, and wealth advisor who has been counseling individuals and businesses for more than 40 years on prudent financial management, I am deeply concerned about the recent proposal to implement a three-quarter percent sales tax aimed at addressing a budget shortfall.
Upon hearing this, I took it upon myself to investigate the trends in Kane County’s revenue and expenses over the past few years. What I found should alarm every taxpayer in the county. Hree are the key findings:
- In 2020, the Kane County Board budget was $65 million.
- By 2024, it has exploded to $122 million
- The KC Board budget has increased by 87% in four years
- In the area of personnel costs, $41 million was spent on salaries and wages in 2020
- In 2024, that figure has skyrocketed to $78.2 million, a 90% increase.
- Contractual personnel costs have also ballooned, increasing from $10 million to $17.5 million, a 75% rise over the same period.
In the same time frame, Kane County’s population has decreased. In 2012, the population was 520,000, and by 2023, it had fallen to 515,000. There has been no population growth to justify these massive increases in county spending.
Let me be clear: we don’t want to make this a political issue. However, it’s important to acknowledge that the Kane County Board is made up of 16 Democrats and 8 Republicans, and it appears that the board members most responsible for driving big spending are Vern Tepe, Mavis Bates, Bill Tarver, and Cheryl Strathmann. These individuals have consistently supported excessive spending and contributed to the ballooning budget.
Before imposing new taxes on the already overburdened residents of Kane County, the County Board has a duty to justify these sharp increases in spending. Key questions:
- Why has the budget nearly doubled in just four years?
- Why are taxpayers being asked to pay more when the population has decreased?
These are questions that deserve clear, transparent answers, not new taxes.
Kane County residents are not a blank check for the County Board’s excessive and unchecked budget increases. It is time for leadership to take responsibility and demonstrate fiscal accountability.
I urge you and the Board to immediately undertake a comprehensive review of the budget, identify areas where wasteful spending can be cut, and implement cost-saving measures. Until this is done, there should be no consideration of additional taxes on Kane County residents.
I look forward to hearing how you plan to rectify this situation and would be willing to discuss this matter further to ensure the fiscal integrity of our county is restored.
Sincerely,
Jenine Mehr, MBA, CFP
Concerned Citizen of Kane County