Kane County Clerk Pollack told the Public Service Committee on July 17 that passport services and grant revenue are up this year, and he addressed committee questions about a $2 million CTCL/US Alliance grant that has been discussed by public commenters.

Pollack said the clerk’s office processed more than 4,000 passport transactions in the first six months of the year, a roughly 16% increase over last year, and that aggressive grant-seeking had brought in more than $1.24 million year-to-date, including approximately $208,000 in recent awards from the Illinois State Board of Elections. Pollack said grant revenue is recorded in the clerk’s financial reports and that the money flows back into the general fund to support county services.

Public comments and board discussion returned repeatedly to a roughly $2 million grant the clerk’s office received from an organization described in the meeting as CTCL or US Alliance. Several speakers in public comment and at the dais referenced reporting about private funding of election-related activities and asked how the county planned to spend the remaining funds. Board member David Young asked specifically about the grant’s expiration date and where remaining funds would be allocated. Pollack said the grant’s spending is governed by the grant agreement and reiterated that expenditures followed the agreement ‘in the best interest of the property taxpayers of Kane County.’ He also stated an extension date of May 2026 for the grant’s spending period.

Why it matters: Private grants for election administration have been politically charged. Some public speakers used the term “Zuckerbucks” to refer to prior private donations to election-related organizations; others urged the county to accept the funds and be transparent about how they are used.

Discussion versus decision: Committee members asked questions and received responses from the clerk. No new appropriation or policy change was recorded at the meeting and the clerk invited board members to contact his office for further detail.

Ending: The clerk said more state grant funds were likely to arrive before the next meeting; committee members asked for continued transparency about grant spending and encouraged the clerk’s office to make details available to the board and the public.