Kane County committee approves three-year contract with sheriff’s peace officers

The Kane County Finance and Budget Committee on May 20 approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office peace officers, covering fiscal years 2025 through 2027. Committee members recorded the roll-call votes in the meeting packet and the motion passed.

Sheriff’s Office leadership told the committee the contract is a three-year deal with multi-year step increases; the sheriff argued the county’s deputies remain significantly below comparable pay in nearby McHenry County and described operational strains caused by understaffing. The sheriff said the office will absorb the cost in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 but that fiscal 2027 will be more challenging because of step increases as officers advance to higher pay steps.

Why it matters: County leaders said the contract addresses recruitment and retention concerns for deputies and correctional officers and that failing to conclude an agreement could trigger binding arbitration and potentially higher costs. The sheriff emphasized that deputies in Kane County do more with fewer resources and cited a recent department pursuit and arrest as evidence of the agency’s daily operational demands.

Committee members discussed budget implications and personnel-management options. Several members asked whether personnel reductions were constrained by collective-bargaining agreements; the sheriff said management is focusing on non-sworn staffing changes and voluntary buyout programs where feasible. The sheriff also said the office will explore other staffing efficiencies and noted that rank-and-file members supported the contract in the internal vote.

The committee’s vote approved the agreement; the committee chair said the contract would be reflected in larger budget planning going forward. The sheriff’s office and county finance staff will incorporate the agreement’s costs into subsequent budget drafts.