KANE COUNTY, Ill. — Kane County’s auditor and finance director told the Finance and Budget Committee on Aug. 27 that the county’s accounting and audit functions remain largely manual and would benefit from targeted technology investments and process improvements.

Auditor’s presentation: Auditor Miss Wegman said the auditor’s office has reworked its 2026 budget request downward after identifying cost savings and that staff reductions beyond the proposed level would threaten the office’s ability to process payroll and claims in a timely manner. "Reducing my staff any further, we will not be able to pay our bills in time," she told the committee, noting that all payroll and accounts payable approvals flow through the auditor’s office.

On audit timing, Wegman said the office has improved month‑end bank reconciliations and is closing faster than last year but still is working toward monthly closes. She noted delays in closing the books earlier in the fiscal year were driven in part by late grant information from departments and staff turnover in grant‑holding offices.

Finance director and automation: Finance Director Cathy Hopkinson described vendor offerings, including AI‑assisted accounts‑payable tools from the county’s accounting software provider that can extract invoice data into the general ledger. Hopkinson said the software vendor’s AI features learn over time but still require human review. "There’s a feature in our software where we can automate rate changes... If that works, that will save the whole county a tremendous amount of time," Hopkinson said.

Costs and analysis: Both auditors and finance staff urged cost‑benefit studies before major purchases. Hopkinson said implementation is the dominant cost driver and that third‑party implementation fees can exceed licensing costs. Audit firm Baker Tilly is scheduled to present the county’s 2024 audited financial statements to the full county board in September.

Grant administrator position: Hopkinson and committee members also discussed a grant administrator position placed in finance in 2024. The position has helped secure approximately $550,000 in award revenue so far and has nearly $300,000 pending, Hopkinson said; some of that salary will be reimbursed from specific grants where appropriate.

Why this matters: County leaders said modernizing key finance processes could reduce staff time and year‑end closings, improve compliance and generate longer‑term savings, but emphasized that automation cannot fully replace the human review required by statutes and audit standards.

Next steps: Committee members asked for quotes and cost‑benefit analyses from vendors for key automation candidates and recommended continuing process improvement meetings across departments to standardize timing for revenue recognition and grant reporting.