Grundy County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Grundy County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Bond Debt Retirement Schedule
The commission's Series 2015 bonds make their last debt service payment on Dec. 1, 2026, and the Series 2016 bonds finish Dec. 1, 2027. That means the county buildings financed by those bonds will soon be fully paid for.
FY2027 Public Building Commission Budget
The tentative FY2027 general fund budget is $24.6 million, up 5.27%, driven by cost-of-living adjustments, health insurance, software implementation and placeholders for union negotiations and sheriff IT contracts.
Land use budget shortfall
Permit revenue is running $120,000 short because last year's solar petition wave didn't repeat — but savings from the retired land use director and contract review engineers make up most of the difference.
SKK Assessor Consulting Contract
The assessor's office contract with SKK Consulting would renew for a year at $8,500 a month, up $2,000, because Stephanie has been working full-time-plus through heavy tax protests and will focus more on commercial assessments.
2026 Tax Levy Proposal
The projected 2026 property tax levy is a 3.01% increase, but finance director Matt Melvin says his goal is to land below that once the budget process wraps. The five-year budget forecast guides the target.
Tyler Tech Software Implementation
The county's GIS system is getting a roughly year-long overhaul — new server, rewritten scripts, republished services — after some drive failures. This is the mapping data behind everything from property lookups to planning.
WIC Fiscal Review Finding
A state fiscal review of the WIC grant found one issue: missing annual employee evaluations. The department is working with HR to adopt an evaluation policy.
Health Department Budget and Subsidy
The county didn't approve the department's full budget request, and the Community Foundation denied a grant for exam tables and equipment, saying those should come from the county budget. The department plans to seek capital improvement funds from the county.
Union contract negotiations and county employee wages
The board met behind closed doors to discuss union contract negotiations. No recommendations or decisions came out of the session, so nothing changed for residents this time.
Trustee certificate cancellations
Three parcels held by the county trustee since 1999 are being purchased, cancelling the certificates and putting the properties back on the tax rolls — good news for the tax base.
Health Department finances
The Health Department is running at 86% of its subsidy budget with three months of the fiscal year left, spending $83,884 more than it took in during September.
Proposed senior center at county Administration Building
Public Health Administrator Tania Schwer pitched converting unused space in the county admin building into a senior center, saying no additional funding is being requested and survey data from the Senior Expo shows demand. She plans to present to the County Board with letters of support.
Advisory referendum on consolidating townships, schools and fire districts
A November 3 advisory referendum asks voters whether the county should study consolidating townships, school districts and fire protection districts — with the goals of better efficiency, maintained services and lower long-term costs.
EDPA 1 CPV surplus distribution
Under a 2017 intergovernmental agreement, the county will distribute $2,009,525 in tax-year-2025 surplus to taxing bodies, keeping $313,285 for the general fund. It was a 20-year agreement, so roughly 17-18 years remain.
VAC administrative assistant staffing
The Veterans Assistance Commission wants more office help now that it has space in a new building — support for phones, transportation coordination, intake and records. The committee rejected the full-time version on cost grounds but backed a permanent part-time position up to 29 hours a week, with budget tweaks needed before it goes to the full board in November.
County self-insurance fund health and claims
The county's insurance trust is losing roughly $870,000 this fiscal year, mostly from legal fees tied to solar litigation and rising insurance premiums. A $700,000 county contribution will replenish the reserve but won't fully cover the loss, and officials say contribution levels may need rethinking if costs stay high.
New state Medicaid program impact on reimbursements
Board members discussed a state Medicaid program taking effect January 1 that could dramatically affect the health department's reimbursements. Members were urged to attend the state's webinar and prepare to help confused recipients.