McHenry County Finance Committee, meeting Jan. 14, 2026 — The finance committee failed to advance an emergency appropriation for replacement county radios after a contentious debate over whether to use RTA (transportation) funds, the capital fund or general‑fund reserves.

The committee heard that approximately 560 radios — a mix of higher-capability units for patrol mapping and lower-capability handsets — were delivered Dec. 29 and are staged in county receiving. Carrie, speaking for court administration and staff, said the county had worked with Motorola for months and that the vendor offered incentives, including training and on‑site programming, that would reduce time and labor for deployment.

Why it matters: Committee members split along a policy line. Several members said they supported buying the radios because units and batteries are failing and the purchase addresses a life‑safety need. Others said using the RTA fund to pay for the radios risks draining money intended for transportation projects and sets a precedent of repurposing restricted funds.

What was debated and decided: Jim Kearns (transportation chair) said he supported the purchase itself but opposed the process and source of funds, saying, "I'm not against purchasing radios for the sheriff's department... I'm against the process that happened here," and warning that diverting RTA dollars could "bleed us dry" on transportation priorities. Carrie told the committee that Motorola had offered time‑sensitive training and deployment assistance and that staff had been trying to hold pricing under a state contract.

A motion to amend the resolution — to reduce the RTA emergency appropriation to $600,000, add a $600,000 capital appropriation and transfer $675,204 from general‑fund reserves to capital — was offered and seconded but failed on a 3–3 voice tally. The committee then voted on the original resolution as presented; roll‑call responses recorded in the transcript show Brian voting No, John Yes, Larry No, Terry Yes, Eric Yes and the Chair No, producing a 3–3 tie. Because the committee did not approve the resolution, the item will move to the full county board as unfinished business for a later vote.

Details and context: Members traced the radio request’s budget path: the radios were discussed as part of a supplemental request during 2025 budget work and later moved into the capital list; staff said the full capital request that included radios totaled roughly $7 million. Several members cited recent budget choices, including a prior $500,000 use of RTA funds for squad cars and removal of matching funds from transportation projects, as reasons to be cautious about further RTA spending. One member noted an unanticipated $2.3 million transportation grant awarded recently and asked whether that offset would change the calculus; members were split on whether it materially did so.

Next steps: Because the motion failed in finance, the resolution will be forwarded as unfinished business to the full county board, where a super‑majority is required for RTA transfers. Staff said they would follow up with Motorola about whether incentives and scheduled training can be deferred if approval is delayed.