Will County Executive Bertino-Tarrant talks unity across county’s ‘regional diversity’

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant focused on expanding government services and the strength of the local business climate in her annual State of the County address.

Bertino-Tarrant delivered her speech at the Thursday meeting of the County Board, which is frequently divided along party lines.

Typical of State of the County speeches, Bertino-Tarrant talked about achievements in county government with no attention given to any setbacks.

While not mentioning the party divisions, Bertino-Tarrant, a Democrat who at times has counted on support from her Democratic members of the County Board, appeared to allude to the political infighting on the board at the start of her speech.

“As county executive, I am fortunate to travel to all corners of this very large county,” she said. “Though I see our differences, I also see similar principles in all of our neighborhoods, and I assure you there is more that unites us than divides us.”

Bertino-Tarrant described Will County as an area of “thriving agricultural communities, growing suburbs” that creates “regional diversity” that she called a strength that also “creates struggles between different priorities.”

She pointed to the county’s strengths, including its status as the top county in Illinois for job creation and construction of single-family homes.

Bertino-Tarrant also delivered a brief budget message, saying she was proposing an $824 million budget for 2025.

That’s up from the county’s $815 million budget this year. But Bertino-Tarrant said additional revenue would come from property taxes on new development while the county tax rate will come down from 0.55% this year to 0.51%.

Police and court operations would remain a budget priority with public safety accounting for 63% of the proposed budget.

Bertino-Tarrant also emphasized the role of county government in people’s lives, pointing to activities in the past year that included:

• The Emergency Management Agency’s response to what she called “unprecedented weather emergencies” that included an ice jam on the Kankakee River in the winter and storms that generated seven tornadoes in the county on July 15.

• New services from the county’s Animal Protection Services Department that included a pet adoption program for the first time and free microchips for 278 dogs and cats.

• A transportation program that is “on track to have the second largest road improvement plan in county history.”

Transportation, road projects

The county will spend more than $130 million on road projects in 2025 and has a five-year plan that outlines $662 million in spending, Bertino-Tarrant said.

She did not mention plans for 143rd Street and Cherry Hill-Mills roads that face opposition from residents along the routes. But she did mention plans for reconstruction of Laraway Road in New Lenox and resurfacing of Weber Road in Bolingbrook.

Bertino-Tarrant also pointed to a 25-year plan launched this year and named “Our Way Forward,” which, she said, “will provide strategies for a more comprehensive vision of transportation, aimed at reducing congestion, improving safety and expanding access.”

Meanwhile, the county expanded public transportation access through the Dial-A-Ride system, which Bertino-Tarrant said “is reaching more residents than ever before” and is expected to serve more than 9,000 seniors and people with disabilities this year.

Bringing services to residents

Bertino-Tarrant said the county also is modernizing access to its services.

“The days of asking residents to drive to Joliet to fill out a form are over or should be,” she said.

She pointed to the county’s Workforce Services Division, which in 2024 launched a mobile kiosk system that makes access to its services more readily available around the county.

County Board party leaders were reserved on their comments about Bertino-Tarrant’s address.

County Board Chairwoman Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, who has challenged Bertino-Tarrant on a number of issues, said that she was “looking forward” to budget discussions and told fellow board members, “I think we all need to take some time to look at the budget and see if we agree with the county executive’s thoughts.”

County Board Democratic Leader Jacqueline Traynere, D-Bolingbrook, commended Bertino-Tarrant’s message but suggested the county should take on a new project, specifically building a health department facility in Bolingbrook.