Aging Systems and Judicial Mandates Drive Significant FY2027 Budget Requests for Will County Courts and Sheriff

Will County Board Finance Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026

Article Summary
Multiple Will County justice and public safety departments detailed millions of dollars in operational and capital needs for FY2027, citing obsolete software, aging jail infrastructure, and new Appellate Court mandates that will significantly drive up costs.

Justice System Budget Key Points:

• The 12th District Court must replace its 1995 jury management software, with estimated costs ranging from $500,000 to $800,000 over five years.

• A Third District Appellate Court ruling now requires the county to pay for trial transcripts for individuals with fee waivers, placing a massive burden on an $18,000 budget line item.

• The Sheriff’s Office is requesting a $2.5 million full-facility generator and a $1.24 million high-efficiency boiler for the Adult Detention Facility to combat frequent power outages.

• The County Clerk’s Office faces a $400,000 shortfall for FY2026 election judges and requires $250,000 in new hardware to support mandatory Windows 11 updates for vote-by-mail equipment.

During a marathon session on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, the Will County Board Finance Committee heard from the county’s core judicial, election, and public safety departments regarding their Fiscal Year 2027 budget priorities. A common theme emerged: obsolete infrastructure and unfunded mandates are forcing expensive upgrades.

The 12th District Court presented two major anomalies for its upcoming budget. The first involves the county’s jury management software, which was originally purchased in 1995. The vendor has been bought out and is phasing out support for the 30-year-old system. Preliminary conversations estimate a replacement system will cost between $500,000 and $800,000 over five years, requiring a formal Request for Proposals (RFP).

The court’s second major hurdle stems from a recent Third District Appellate Court opinion originating from Will County. The ruling mandates that when an individual files a fee waiver in a case, the court must also provide them with free trial transcripts of relevant proceedings.

“Transcripts as you know are very expensive,” the court representative told the committee. “We only have $18,000 in our transcript budget to begin with. I’m guessing that this is going to be a multiplier effect, especially as people learn that this is an option for them… Again, this is not something we chose.”

The Sheriff’s Office brought heavy capital requests for the Adult Detention Facility (ADF). A craftsman supervisor explained that the jail’s current backup generator only powers security systems, leaving the facility without heat, air conditioning, or freezer power during outages.

“It seems more and more every year when ComEd goes out… the last big one we were out for three days,” the supervisor noted, estimating that outages occur 20 to 25 times during the summer alone. The requested full-facility generator, originally estimated at $2.2 million last year, is now projected to cost $2.5 million. Additionally, the ADF requires a new $1.24 million boiler system to replace a 1997 unit currently operating at just 50% efficiency. The new system promises 96% efficiency, bringing thousands in annual utility savings.

Sheriff’s IT personnel added that the frequent “brownouts” at the jail are destroying desktop computers, forcing the department to utilize its desktop replacement budget just to replace fried units rather than aging ones. The IT department is also preparing for a 2027 end-of-life replacement for its network-attached storage device and budgeting for Microsoft licensing increases.

The State’s Attorney’s Office indicated its top priority will be requesting funding for additional Assistant State’s Attorneys (ASAs). The office had delayed hiring following the implementation of the Safety Act but is now facing critical shortages in several courtrooms due to natural attrition. The office is also exploring the conversion of unused, unfinished space on the second floor of the MCO building into dedicated trial preparation rooms.

Board Member Daniel J. Butler (R-Frankfort) pressed the State’s Attorney’s representative on how the office tracks billable hours or specific costs per case to justify the new hires.

“It’s not like a law firm where we bill directly,” the representative countered, explaining that the speedy trial clock and pro se defendants (who represent themselves) frequently delay cases for years regardless of attorney hours worked. “There is no elegant solution that we’ve come to with both our finance people and the attorneys on how to say a murder case costs us $500,000. That’s just not how public [law] works.”

Finally, the County Clerk’s Office presented severe budgetary challenges. Due to Microsoft ending support for Windows 10, the office must spend an estimated $250,000 on new hardware and proprietary software for its Bluecrest vote-by-mail equipment. Additionally, the county’s 1,100 pieces of election day equipment—purchased roughly three years ago—require a $182,000 maintenance and cleaning agreement before the 2027 elections.

Compounding the issue, the Clerk’s Office reported a looming $400,000 shortfall for the upcoming November 2026 general election. The deficit occurred because the county’s budget allocation for election judges did not fully cover the increased daily pay rate of $220, as the state only reimburses a $65 portion of that fee.