Residents Urge County to Prioritize Social Services, Question Treasurer Budget and Responsible-Bidder Ordinance

Four members of the public addressed the Kane County Finance and Budget Committee during the Sept. 24 public-comment period, urging different fiscal priorities and transparency.

Steve Leffler of St. Charles told the committee he was worried about using riverboat funds for internal projects and said outside organizations that serve vulnerable residents should be protected. "It worries me that we're reaching into the riverboat slush fund to balance our budget," Leffler said, and he listed organizations including Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry, Northern Illinois Food Bank and Suicide Prevention Services.

Denise Thiebel (Thiebault) criticized Treasurer Chris Lawson's proposed 2026 budget increase, saying the treasurer was seeking a 30% increase while other county departments faced cuts. "Why is it that treasurer Chris Lawson is asking for a 30% increase over last year's budget for his office?" she asked. Thiebel said the public deserves answers about the requested increase and compared Lawson's compensation to other elected officials.

Brian Anderson of Sugar Grove also criticized use of riverboat funds for internal initiatives and praised the committee for placing a consulting fee termination on the agenda. "We need to continue to prune. We need to continue to challenge," Anderson said, urging continued hiring freezes and spending reductions to achieve a balanced budget.

Michelle Battag of St. Charles raised concerns about the county's Responsible Bidder ordinance passed in 2023, which she said restricts work to certain unions and out-of-county companies and raises costs for county projects. "When you're sitting there taking thousand thousands of dollars from these unions... you're taking King County businesses and throwing them down the tubes because they aren't getting the work," she said, and asked the board to "take [the responsible bidder ordinance] off of our backs." (Speaker used county name verbally as "Kane/King" in multiple places; public comments referenced Kane County.)

Why this matters: Public commenters asked the committee to prioritize external social-service providers when deciding how to use riverboat proceeds, questioned an elected official's budget request, and urged changes to procurement policy. Those public appeals were made as the committee considered the 2026 budget and other funding decisions.

Attribution: Statements are attributed to the speakers shown on the record: Steve Leffler (St. Charles), Denise Thiebel, Brian Anderson (Sugar Grove) and Michelle Battag (St. Charles). The transcript contained minor name spellings variation; article uses the names as provided by speakers at the podium.