The Will County Sheriff's Department will receive $1.3 million to cover overtime. | File photo
The Will County Sheriff's Department will receive $1.3 million to cover overtime. | File photo
The new budget for Will County will see more money for the sheriff's and health departments.
The balanced budget — which was approved by the county board in November, a news release reported, and took effect Dec. 1 — will total about $551 million.
The county sheriff's department will receive $1.3 million to cover overtime as part of its funding increase. Board member Mike Fricione (R-Homer Glen) said the increase for the sheriff's department is to adapt to consistent budget overruns the department has had recently. The board also has asked the sheriff's department to help find ways to cut overtime expenditures in half in the coming years.
The board also signed off on a $357,000 increase in funding for the county's health department, a move Democratic leader Herb Brooks Jr. of Joliet was pleased with.
"We would've liked to provide more money for essential human services for our residents, but I'm glad we did get additional funding for the health department," he said in the news release. "It's important we pay attention not only to the financial health of the county, but also the general health and well-being of its residents."
The state will cut $2.4 million in funds to Will County next year. However, the county made widespread salary cuts to save $1 million and a growing taxpayer base is expected to help as well.
The board approved a cut to the county's tax rate in October.
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