Kane County officials warn proposed RTA funding shift would cut $7 million from public safety

Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser, Sheriff Ron Hain and several area mayors told reporters that proposed changes to Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) funding could redirect $27,000,000 currently received by Kane County and would jeopardize about $7,000,000 that the county uses for public-safety programs.

"Currently, Kane County receives $27,000,000 from the RTA fund. This goes $7,000,000 into the initial public safety," Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser said, adding those dollars support law-enforcement partners including the sheriff's office, 911, the coroner and the circuit clerk. Mosser said taking that money away would make it "more difficult for us to be able to support and help those in our community who have been targeted as victims of violence."

Sheriff Ron Hain framed the risk in staffing terms: "McHenry County has a population of 320,000 approximately. They have a hundred and 7 sheriff deputies. We have a population of 530,000, and we have 92 sheriff's deputies," Hain said, arguing the county already does "more with less" and warning the funding shift would strain local law enforcement.

Elgin Mayor David Captain said transit funding and associated governance changes in proposed state bills would affect counties that serve as gateways to the Chicago region. "We're not the end of the metro line in Elgin. We're the beginning of the metro line of those in Chicago," Captain said, urging equal representation for suburban communities.

Jeff Schulte, a mayor who said he has participated in regional discussions for two years, told legislators the proposals could be "a political time bomb" for local officials and urged caution. Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns summarized the group’s view: "The funding mechanism that's being proposed is nothing more than statutory pickpocketing of counties" and said proposed governance language would "diminish and dismantle local control."

Speakers urged residents and local officials to contact state legislators before votes on bills they said are pending in the legislature. The speakers described the matter as time-sensitive and linked planning for future transit service to possible changes in funding and governance.

No formal county board action or vote was taken at the press event; the remarks were appeals to state legislators and public information shared by local officials.