Time for Fiscal Reality in Kane County
Public Comment, Special Finance Committee, May 1, 2025
By Jenine Mehr, Kane County Citizen
The recent budget adoption has brought us to a crossroads. While I sympathize with those who did not support the current budget and now face the fallout, my message is directed to those who did vote for it: the time for delay is over.
Kane County must balance its budget—not on hope, not on hypothetical revenues, but on fiscal reality. This isn’t optional. The law requires it. And more importantly, our taxpayers demand it.
We cannot continue to operate on wishful thinking. Our reserves are nearly depleted. The COVID relief funds are gone. And when asked, voters rejected new taxes by a landslide. That message was unmistakable: no more bailouts, no more blank checks.
Let me be equally clear—balancing this budget cannot be achieved by adding new taxes. Illinois residents already shoulder some of the highest tax burdens in the nation. We face soaring property taxes, high sales and income taxes, inheritance taxes, and the highest gas taxes in the country. Our residents cannot afford more.
Like every household and business in Kane County, this board must live within its means.
Now is the time for leadership grounded in discipline. Every department must be ready to prioritize. Every dollar must be justified. Our county’s cash flow must be stable and sufficient to ensure the continuation of essential services.
This board must stop kicking the can down the road. We need to bring in financial professionals and engaged citizens—people who understand budgets and the consequences of ignoring them. We must work together, line by line, to bring spending into alignment with revenues.
Because this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about transparency. It’s about ethical responsibility. It’s about trust.
And ultimately, it’s about whether this board is willing to lead with integrity—or continue governing by crisis.
Real Solutions Without Raising Taxes
By Bill Lenert
Kane County Board Member, District 5, Special Finance Committee – May 1, 2025
At our last meeting, we asked every member of the Finance Committee to bring forward three ideas to help reduce county expenses. My hope is that by doing this, we can find agreement on at least one or two solutions that can serve as a responsible starting point.
Here are the three solutions I believe can make an immediate and significant difference:
- Implement an Attrition Program
This is not a hiring freeze. Rather, it means that when someone leaves the county—whether voluntarily or involuntarily—their position would not be automatically refilled. Instead, each vacancy would be reviewed by the relevant department or elected official to determine whether that role is essential and should be rehired.
We lose a substantial number of employees each year through normal turnover. If we manage that wisely, we could reduce expenses by $3–4 million annually. Importantly, this could help prevent the need for layoffs in the future—a real concern if we don’t get our budget under control now. - Recognize Natural Property Tax Increases (Without Raising the Levy)
Due to annual property evaluation changes, we typically see a natural increase in tax revenue—estimated at around $2 million this year—even without increasing the levy. This isn’t a new tax, nor is it an additional burden on residents. It’s simply the result of rising property values, and it’s a resource we must acknowledge in our budgeting process. - Ban Unfunded Emergency Resolutions
Going forward, we must no longer approve emergency spending resolutions that don’t come with designated funding. If an emergency expense is truly necessary, it must be accompanied by identified funds. Otherwise, it should not move forward. These unfunded resolutions are unsustainable and have contributed to our budget shortfalls. Cutting them could save another $1–2 million annually.
Taken together, these three ideas represent a potential $7 million in savings. And most importantly, they do not involve raising taxes.
I firmly believe that increasing taxes is not the answer. It’s an easy political solution, but it’s not a responsible one. We cannot continue to raise property taxes, motor fuel taxes, or other fees every time we face a challenge. We must learn to live within our means.
What I’m proposing are fiscally responsible, practical steps that respect both our financial reality and our taxpayers. I have additional suggestions to offer, but these three represent a strong place to begin.
Let’s get to work—together—and find solutions that put Kane County back on solid financial ground without adding more burden to the people we serve.
Kane County Needs Radical Change—Now
Public Comment, Special Finance Committee, May 1, 2025
By Brian Anderson
Sugar Grove Resident
Good morning.
I’d like to take us back to the Kane County Finance Committee meeting on April 23rd. I listened to that two-hour debacle, and one thing is painfully clear: we do not have a plan.
At the 1-hour, 15-minute mark, board member Kathy Hopkinson stood up and did a great job expressing the sense of urgency that this board needs to embrace. The budget crisis cannot wait any longer.
I’m glad to see Madam Chair in attendance today. I don’t know the current status of the $127,000 consulting group that was voted on. But if they are now under contract, their only focus—only—should be to work directly with the board to fix the budget.
That said, this moment calls for more than small adjustments. I am calling for radical change.
In January, there was talk of teamwork, transparency, and collaboration. At that time, the board voted to make Jared Sanchez the new chair of the Finance Committee. But just seconds after that vote, the chair overruled the board and announced that Dale Berman would remain in the position.
That’s not transparency. That’s not collaboration. That’s not leadership.
I will be calling this out publicly at the Executive Committee meeting and again at the full County Board meeting. If we are serious about change, then it’s time to restructure the Finance Committee and appoint a new chair—Jared Sanchez.
If that can’t be done due to statutes, codes, or Robert’s Rules of Order—then I respectfully call on Mr. Berman to resign. Let the committee then elevate Jared Sanchez as chair. That’s what radical change means.
Ladies and gentlemen, we need to address this—and we need to address it fast.
And one more thing—I’m glad to see Vern Tupy here today. At the 2-hour, 2-minute mark of that same meeting, Mr. Tupy tried to play the victim and shift blame. He said, “Well, back in January I would have done this…”
Mr. Tupy, I’ve been coming here for two years, urging this board to become responsible financial stewards and to balance the budget. So when you say we should have started in January—sir, it should have started years ago. That’s why we’re in this situation now.
Thank you.