Peoria County committee advances FY2026 federal legislative agenda with three earmark priorities

The Peoria County Finance Committee voted to place a recommended Fiscal Year 2026 federal legislative agenda on the floor for consideration after staff and the county's federal lobbyist summarized proposed earmark requests and policy priorities.

Administrator Sorrell said the county engaged Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies last year to help prepare a federal legislative agenda. That firm conducted interviews with county officials and recommended two main tracks: community funding project (earmark) requests and policy/authorization initiatives. The committee voted, by unanimous voice vote, to advance the recommended agenda.

Staff recommended three community funding projects as earmark requests when the congressional process opens: phase 3 of the Radnor Road street-corridor plan (to finish design/engineering and fund the first construction phase between Willow Knolls and the railroad tracks), initial design and engineering for Cameron Lane street corridor (a north-south agricultural hauling route in the west-central county), and brownfield remediation at the Hance City work camp. Staff said these were chosen because they have identified funding buckets or clear project scopes appropriate for federal community-project requests.

Officials listed other projects considered but not recommended for federal earmarks this cycle (Glassford Road corridor plan phase 1, Galena Road Industrial Park infrastructure, and implementation of phase 1 of the jail master plan) and noted some larger items are more appropriate for state funding or are already budgeted for smaller work (for example, proposed mill-and-overlay work on Glassford Hill is in the county highway budget).

Policy priorities in the proposed agenda include continued funding for the National Center for Agricultural Utilization and Research (the local USDA agricultural lab), reconsideration of new FCC limitations affecting detainee phone calls, support for more direct federal funding to county governments (a NACo priority), recognition/support for Peoria Lock and Danvers river infrastructure, provisions under the Defense Production Act relevant to automation/manufacturing programs, the Reconnecting Communities program, support for Liberty Steel-related market impacts, and backing for the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Staff recommended two items not be included at this time: federal legislation on prosecutor recruitment and retention that failed to advance in Congress in 2024 and reassessing food labeling; staff said both could be revisited if reintroduced or if local priorities change. Administrator Sorrell said the county expects to send board members to the NACo legislative conference in Washington, D.C., and to organize a separate congressional "fly-in" with Cozen O'Connor later in the year.

A motion by Member Allison, seconded by Member Duncan, to place the FY2026 federal legislative agenda on the floor carried by unanimous voice vote.