Will County panel adopts 2026–2031 transportation program after adding 'estimated' cost language

The Will County Transportation Committee voted to adopt the county's 2026' 2031 Transportation Improvement Program on a majority voice vote after members approved adding language and a table heading clarifying that project cost figures are "estimated." The committee discussed whether to relabel the document from a "plan" to an "idea" and debated how to show uncertainty in long-range cost estimates.

Why it matters: the multiyear program lists major road projects the county expects to study, design and fund over the next five years as an implementation step tied to the county's 20-year long-range planning document; changes to wording or disclaimers affect public expectations about which projects are certain to proceed and which are subject to future funding and engineering reviews.

The discussion opened after the committee chair introduced item one as "adopting the Will County 2026' 2031 transportation improvement program." Balich, a county board member, urged changing the label from "plan" to "idea," saying, "I don't like the idea of calling this a plan anymore. I think we need to change the word from plan to idea or some word that's offering up change...because when you call it a plan and we vote for a plan, then what's happening is everyone believes it's a plan that's gonna happen." Several members pushed back, saying the document is statutorily tied to the county's long-range plan and constitutes an annual, five-year implementation program.

Jeff, the county's director of transportation, explained how the program relates to the existing 2040 long-range plan and the forthcoming 2050 plan and described the two-tier structure: a long-range (20-year) plan and an annually updated multiyear five-year program. He said the five-year list is updated each year and that cost numbers are preliminary: "We're...only in the preliminary design. We're not even in design engineering yet. So those...are high estimate numbers," and that project figures are revised annually.

Members questioned whether cost columns should be labeled to reflect uncertainty. Reavis (county board member) flagged a project listed as the largest in the packet'Cribone Road from Illinois 57 to Illinois 394'noting the packet showed a $110,800,000 construction total and $14,000,000 for construction engineering for a segment. Committee members confirmed schedules run from 2027 through 2031 for many segments, and Jeff explained the document also uses "MYB" (multiyear B) to flag segments that stretch beyond 2031.

A motion to add a preamble stating the plan could be changed at any time failed on a recorded vote. The committee then considered a separate motion to adopt the program with the addition of language and a header change to make the dollar amounts explicit "estimated" figures. That motion passed on roll call.

Discussion points recorded by the committee included: - The statutory requirement that metropolitan planning organizations and counties provide a 20-year long-range plan and an associated list of major improvements within five years (discussed by Jeff). - Requests that the program packet include clearer notation (an asterisk or footer) that figures are estimates and the date of the annual vote. - Clarification of MYB (multiyear B) as projects outside the 2031 timeframe.

The formal outcomes recorded in committee minutes were: - A failed motion to insert a broad preamble (recorded vote: Rebus/Reavis: yes; Balich: yes; Hickey: no; Axley/Oxley: yes; Winfrey: no; Trenier: no; motion failed). - Adoption of the 2026' 2031 Transportation Improvement Program with the addition of "estimated" language in the cost table (motion carried on roll call: Rebus/Reavis: yes; Balich: yes; Freeman: no; Hickey: yes; Oxley/Axley: yes; Winfrey: yes; Trenier: yes).

Committee members and staff noted next steps: the five-year program advances to the full county board, the document will be updated annually and next year's program will reflect the new 2050 long-range plan framework. Jeff told members the packet and the annual presentation will revise figures each year as design and funding are refined.

The committee also encouraged staff to place clearer disclaimers on the front pages or in footnotes to make the estimative nature of the figures transparent to the public.