Peoria County infrastructure committee approves FY2026 infrastructure budget, adds targeted amendments

Peoria County's Infrastructure Committee on a unanimous voice vote approved the committee'level portion of the FY2026 budget and adopted several member amendments that reallocated capital funding for facility remediation and roadwork.

The committee approved projected revenues of $35,571,707 and expenditures of $43,885,493 for departments reporting to the infrastructure committee, which staff said are part of a countywide FY2026 package that budgets $64.2 million in the general fund and $172.5 million in all funds. Committee members noted the overall budget uses reserves in the short term and identified capital priorities including the jail master plan, courthouse work and multiple highway projects.

Why it matters: the committee'level vote sets the spending framework for highway, facilities and related capital projects and includes member-directed shifts of local capital to address safety, building remediation and planned reimbursement agreements with developers.

Key amendments adopted

- Hannah City Work Camp: Member Sharon Williams moved to remove $250,000 previously allocated in capital projects for initial Hannah City Work Camp work and instead add $250,000 to CIP line item CIP14 (highway office improvements), increasing that project from $400,000 to $650,000. Williams also proposed adding $500,000 for abatement and remediation work at Hannah City Work Camp to be funded from the Solid Waste Management Fund. County staff said the Solid Waste Management Fund is an eligible funding source for pre‑demolition abatement and that the fund balance and projected revenues from the county's new transfer station support a $500,000 initial allocation.

- Kickapoo‑Edwards / Civil Defense Road improvements: Member Jim Dylan proposed and the committee approved funding for a developer‑assisted safety improvement. The amendment identified $600,000 from ARPA, $350,000 from county highway funds and $250,000 from matching tax funds to pre‑fund curb, gutter and safety improvements tied to a private development; the developer will reimburse $600,000 under a development agreement when the work progresses. During discussion staff said design work is nearly complete and a special use and development agreement will be presented before construction. The vote on this amendment was recorded as eight yes votes with one abstention (Terry Ritter).

Staff presentations and clarifications

Heather, the budget presenter, walked members through revenue and expenditure changes, staffing adjustments (net +0.04 FTE in the committee portfolio) and the capital project prioritization process. Scott (county administration) summarized how the jail master plan preconstruction funding and other large capital items fit in the county's multiyear plan.

Several members asked for clarifications about PCAPS (the county animal shelter) project scope and funding; staff said recent gifts and a state capital grant totaling $550,000 (a $300,000 bequest plus a $250,000 capital grant) were not reflected in the original budget book and would reduce pressure on the capital projects fund for that project.

What passed and next steps

The committee vote approved the committee'level budget as presented with the amendments described above. Staff will carry the committee recommendations back to the full county board process and proceed with procurement or development agreements where required. The Kickapoo‑Edwards reimbursement structure will be formalized in a development agreement and a future board action for final project authorization.