Peoria County committee adopts 2026 legislative agenda, highlights delinquent tax-sale reform and infrastructure requests

Peoria County's Finance, Audit and Legislative Affairs Committee unanimously adopted the county's 2026 legislative agenda after a detailed presentation from County Administrator Sorrell.

The agenda bundles joint priorities with the City of Peoria and county-specific requests. Administrator Sorrell told the committee the packet reflects a mix of joint asks — such as expanded tools for local economic development centers and support for a statewide 9-1-1 surcharge — and county-only items, including $10 million for reconstruction of Laramie Avenue and proposed changes to delinquent tax-sale law. "I think from my perspective, this is the most important issue that we have this session," Sorrell said of delinquent tax-sale reform, which staff urged legislators to address quickly because of active litigation and county exposure.

Why it matters: staff said state-level changes tied to Senate Bill 1937 and other pension proposals could raise IMRF costs funded through property taxes; the agenda also seeks to protect local government distributive funds (LGDF) and PPRT receipts amid a projected multibillion-dollar state budget shortfall for fiscal 2027. Sorrell warned that any modification to tier 2 pensions "is gonna be an increased cost to us," noting the county funds 100% of IMRF obligations through property taxes.

Key agenda items included joint support for a statewide 9-1-1 surcharge (packet references a bill number in the 2700 range), repeal of a 1.5% administrative fee on locally imposed sales taxes, requests for vertical capital funding such as jail housing unit modernization, and county-specific road reconstructions with updated cost estimates. The packet lists approximately 2,300 parcels that enter the county's delinquent tax process annually out of roughly 89,000 parcels and offers legislators a roadmap for statutory changes.

Committee discussion touched on appointment practices for the Board of Review. Chairman Dylan said the county should explore permissive legislation to reduce partisan turnover on the Board of Review so qualified people can serve longer. "I just thought it would be maybe behoove us to look at taking the politics out of the assessments," Chairman Dylan said.

Votes at a glance: the committee recorded unanimous votes earlier in the meeting for a motion allowing a member (Paul) to attend remotely and for approval of Nov. 25 minutes; the committee then voted unanimously to adopt the 2026 legislative agenda.

What's next: the resolution will move from committee for the board's next steps as part of the county's legislative outreach this session.