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State Rep. D. Avalar outlines budget wins for Crest Hill, describes state plan for new correctional campus
Summary
State Representative D. Avalar briefed the Crest Hill City Council on FY2027 budget priorities, consumer protections and $1.5 million in district capital grants, and described a state correctional campus plan that names Crest Hill as a preferred site for two modern facilities with re-entry programming.
State Representative D. Avalar, the assistant majority leader representing the district that includes Crest Hill, told the city council on June 15 that the recently concluded legislative session prioritized cost-of-living relief and community investments, and that the state selected Crest Hill as a preferred site for a new correctional campus.
"This project is not just about replacing old buildings. It's about creating a correctional system that promotes rehabilitation, improves public safety, and prepares people for successful re-entry into society," Avalar said, describing plans for an approximately 1,800-bed men's facility and an 800-bed women's facility that will include educational and vocational programming, medical and mental-health services, and re-entry supports.
Avalar highlighted several FY2027 budget actions she said will help working families: a partial freeze of the gas sales tax to lower pump prices, two back-to-school sales-tax holidays, expanded free and reduced-price school meal funding, increased support for community health centers, and an extension of eligibility for property tax relief and energy assistance to more seniors and low-income homeowners. She also described a medical-debt relief partnership that, she said, has erased approximately $72 million in debt statewide and helped about 67,000 people in one county to date.
The representative said the correctional campus site selection was driven by infrastructure, space and access to shared services, and she emphasized state efforts to design facilities around rehabilitation and re-entry rather than warehousing. She said local partnerships with healthcare, education and workforce providers will be part of site planning and pledged continued communication with municipal leaders as negotiations proceed.
Council members thanked Avalar for the funding secured for the district and requested follow-up meetings on public-safety grant coordination and the local effects of the correctional campus. Avalar invited city staff and elected officials to meet with her Springfield office and noted her district office in Romeoville is available for constituent meetings.
The city did not vote on any matter related to the correctional campus during the meeting; Representative Avalar's remarks were presented as an informational update and she invited council feedback as state negotiations continue.
