Kane County Board approves reallocation of federal pandemic relief funding, as deadline to spend it nears
In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act, commonly called ARPA, authorized the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which delivered $350 billion to state, territorial, local and Tribal governments, according to the United States Treasury Department. The funds were intended to help these government entities and their residents recover from the effects of the pandemic, and could be used to respond to public health and economic impacts of the pandemic, invest in water and broadband internet infrastructure, provide 'premium pay' for essential workers and more.
Kane County received just over $100 million in total, and used the money over the past few years on COVID-19 contact tracing, grants for area nonprofit organizations, public safety projects, payroll reimbursements and infrastructure projects and expenses. In July, the county issued its 2024 report with updates on the county's use of these funds.
Local entities nationwide had until the end of 2024 to allocate the ARPA funds they received, according to the Treasury Department. The funds can be spent through the end of 2026, but can only go toward projects or services authorized before Dec. 31, 2024.
Tuesday's board approval means some of the funds set to expire next year in Kane County will be transferred from one ARPA-funded project to another. Several of the reallocations were voted on at the county's Executive Committee meeting last week and were then passed unanimously during Tuesday's County Board meeting, but three of the larger sums of money were passed Tuesday in split votes.
The resolutions which passed with split votes include three separate reallocations from the Kane County Circuit Clerk's microfilm archiving project, which set out to digitize court records to improve remote access, with the money going to a kitchen and laundry area improvement project at the Kane County Justice Center for just over $300,000, the county's administrative cost projection project in the amount of $120,000 and a technology improvement project at the 16th Judicial Circuit Court for roughly $17,500.
The reallocations passed unanimously as part of Tuesday's consent agenda at the meeting included, for example, reprogramming funds between several ARPA projects in the Kane County Environmental and Water Resources department, and a transfer of just under $10,000 to a pipe improvement project at the Kane County jail from the Kane County 16th Judicial Circuit Court Services' Probation Victim Services and Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists projects.
In all, just under $500,000 in ARPA funding was reprogrammed to various projects on Tuesday, according to figures from the meeting agenda.
At Tuesday's board meeting, District 14 County Board member Jon Gripe said he was voting against the reallocations of funding because he thought that other board members and county entities outside the county's ARPA Committee – such as the Circuit Clerk's Office – were not sufficiently involved in the discussion of these measures.
'The people that the money is being removed from, if that's the case, need to be involved before the day of the meeting where we vote on this,' Gripe said on Tuesday.
Going forward, the County Board could authorize similar reprogramming of ARPA funding before the 2026 deadline to spend the money, a county spokesperson said. But these reallocations of ARPA funding and future ones cannot go toward new projects, only those authorized before Dec. 31, 2024.
In the years since the county began receiving the federal pandemic funding, it has pursued a variety of programs and capital projects. It gave out $755,000 in grants to food-growing businesses and organizations, with a focus on small farms and those addressing food insecurity, funded HVAC replacements in the county's jail and sheriff's office and proposed the construction of a new public health building, although the latter plan ultimately was shot down by the board.
But, with no more funds to allocate and a limited amount of time to spend what's left, the county continues to face financial challenges as it anticipates using up its reserve funds by 2027 or 2028 if revenue or expenses don't change before then. The board has previously said that pandemic-era funds were used to pay for some salaries in the county, as well as other programs and projects.
The board has been holding town halls about its sales tax referendum on the April 1 ballot, which has been touted as a possible solution to the county's future budget woes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
9 minutes ago
- NBC News
Why a 'mini Trump' is breaking through in Japan
TOKYO — As President Donald Trump's tariffs add to a sense of uncertainty in Japan, more voters here are embracing an idea inspired by their longtime ally the United States: 'Japanese first.' The nationalist slogan helped the right-wing populist party Sanseito make big gains in Japan's parliamentary elections on Sunday, as it capitalized on economic malaise and concerns about immigration and overtourism. Party leader Sohei Kamiya, who since 2022 had held Sanseito's only seat in the upper house of Japan's parliament, will now be joined by 14 others in the 248-seat chamber. It's a far cry from the party's origin as a fringe anti-vaccination group on YouTube during the Covid-19 pandemic. Though Japan has long had a complex relationship with foreigners and its cultural identity, experts say Sanseito's rise is another indication of the global shift to the right embodied and partly fueled by Trump, with populist figures gaining ground in Europe, Britain, Latin America and elsewhere. Kamiya 'fancies himself a mini-Trump' and 'is one of those who Trump has put wind in his sails,' said Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian studies and history at Temple University's Japan campus. Speaking at a rally on Saturday at Tokyo's Shiba Park, Kamiya said his calls for greater restrictions on foreign workers and investment were driven not by xenophobia but by 'the workings of globalization.' He criticized mainstream parties' support for boosting immigration in an effort to address the labor shortage facing Japan's aging and shrinking population. 'Japan is still the fourth-largest economy in the world. We have 120 million people. Why do we have to rely on foreign capital?' Kamiya told an enthusiastic crowd. The election results were disastrous for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who is facing calls to resign now that his conservative Liberal Democratic Party — which has ruled almost uninterrupted since the end of World War II — has lost its majority in both houses of parliament. The Japanese leader had also been under pressure to reach a trade deal with the Trump administration, which said Tuesday that the two sides had agreed to a 15% U.S. tariff on Japanese goods. On Wednesday, Ishiba denied reports that he planned to step down by the end of August. The message from his party's string of election losses is that 'people are unhappy,' Kingston said. 'A lot of people feel that the status quo is biased against their interests and it advantages the elderly over the young, and the young feel sort of resentful that they're having to carry the heavy burden of the growing aging population on their back,' he said. Kamiya, 47, an energetic speaker with social media savvy, is also a strong contrast to leaders such as Ishiba and the Constitutional Democrats' Yoshihiko Noda, both 68, who 'look like yesterday's men' and the faces of the establishment, Kingston said. With voters concerned about stagnating wages, surging prices and bleak employment prospects, 'the change-makers got a lot of protest votes from people who feel disenfranchised,' he said. Sanseito's platform resonated with voters such as Yuta Kato. 'The number of [foreign immigrants] who don't obey rules is increasing. People don't voice it, but I think they feel that,' the 38-year-old hairdresser told Reuters in Tokyo. 'Also, the burden on citizens including taxes is getting bigger and bigger, so life is getting more difficult.' The biggest reason Sanseito did well in the election, he said, 'is that they are speaking on behalf of us.' Kamiya's party was not the only upstart to benefit from voter discontent, with the center-right Democratic Party for the People increasing its number of seats in the upper house from five to 16. Sanseito, whose name means 'Participate in Politics,' originated in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, attracting conservatives with YouTube videos promoting conspiracy theories about vaccines and pushing back against mask mandates. Its YouTube channel now has almost 480,000 subscribers. The party has also warned about a 'silent invasion' of foreigners in Japan, where the number of foreign residents rose more than 10% last year to a record of almost 3.8 million, according to the Immigration Services Agency. It remains far lower as a proportion of the population than in the U.S. or Europe, however. Critics say such rhetoric has fueled hate speech and growing hostility toward foreigners in Japan, citing a survey last month by Japanese broadcaster NHK and others in which almost two-thirds of respondents agreed that foreigners received 'preferential treatment.' At the Sanseito rally on Saturday, protesters held up signs that said 'No Hate' and 'Racists Go Home.' Kamiya denies that his party is hostile to foreigners in Japan. 'We have no intention of discriminating against foreigners, nor do we have any intention of inciting division,' he said Monday. 'We're just aiming to firmly rebuild the lives of Japanese people who are currently in trouble.' Despite its electoral advances, Sanseito doesn't have enough members in the upper house to make much impact on its own and has only three seats in the more powerful lower house. The challenge, Kingston said, is whether Kamiya can 'take this anger, the malaise, and bring his show nationwide.'
Chicago Tribune
10 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Guest column: Gary students deserve more than virtual replacements
As the president of the Gary Teachers Union, I have the privilege of representing the hardworking educators who are the backbone of our community. So it's with deep concern that I must address the recent decision by the Gary Community School Corporation to contract with Proximity, a virtual education provider. This is a move that will replace up to 45 local educators with a teacher-on-a-screen. The misleadingly named Proximity promises a 'licensed teacher in every classroom,' but let's be clear — the deal will only leave students more isolated. This online platform is no silver bullet for the challenges we face in education. It is a shortcut that sacrifices the real, tangible, in-person connections that are essential to student success. I know firsthand how deeply our educators care about our students. We do more than just teach: we mentor, we support, and we understand the unique challenges that each student faces. We know the names of their parents and siblings and can recite their struggles, and their triumphs. We sit through late-night meetings and community events, not because it's part of the job, but because we are part of this community. Our students' success is our success, and their failures weigh heavily on our hearts. This partnership with Proximity is not just a decision to 'go digital' — it is a decision to replace the soul of education with something far more distant. And it's a decision being made with no union collaboration, no teacher buy-in. As the exclusive bargaining representative for our teachers, I wasn't even consulted. Proximity may promise technology that works for some, but a 'virtual teacher' will never attend a school concert, offer a shoulder to cry on, or help a struggling student after school. They will not build the trust and the personal relationships our students need to succeed. The claim that Proximity guarantees a 'licensed' teacher is not an assurance of quality. Licensing is important, but teaching is more than having a piece of paper. It's about understanding the nuances of each student's individual learning journey, responding to their needs, and building a rapport that encourages growth — things that cannot be replicated through an algorithm or a screen. Did we not learn this during COVID? Our public school teachers are not just 'licensed' — they are deeply committed professionals who live, work, and raise families in Gary. They are part of our community. Replacing them with a virtual talking head is an insult to their dedication and to the families that depend on them. Let's not forget the financial implications of this decision. This may not even be cost effective for the school district! Everything we've seen says we'll still need a 'classroom facilitator' to be physically present. How much more will this cost? To the administration of the Gary School Corporation: I urge you to reconsider this decision. This is not just about saving money or adopting the latest technological trend. This is about the future of our children, the integrity of our schools, and the livelihoods of the teachers who are committed to making Gary a better city for everyone. We deserve more than virtual replacements. Our teachers and this community have built a school system that puts children first. We need to fight for our teachers and paraprofessionals — the people who have dedicated their lives to this work and to this city. Our teachers deserve better. Our students deserve better. And the community of Gary deserves better than to be sold short by a for-profit virtual platform.
Los Angeles Times
11 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump voters wanted relief from Medical bills. For millions, the bills are about to get bigger
President Trump rode to reelection last fall on voter concerns about prices. But as his administration pares back federal rules and programs designed to protect patients from the high cost of health care, Trump risks pushing more Americans into debt, further straining family budgets already stressed by medical bills. Millions of people are expected to lose health insurance in the coming years as a result of the tax cut legislation Trump signed this month, leaving them with fewer protections from large bills if they get sick or suffer an accident. At the same time, significant increases in health plan premiums on state insurance marketplaces next year will likely push more Americans to either drop coverage or switch to higher-deductible plans that will require them to pay more out-of-pocket before their insurance kicks in. Smaller changes to federal rules are poised to bump up patients' bills, as well. New federal guidelines for COVID -19 vaccines, for example, will allow health insurers to stop covering the shots for millions, so if patients want the protection, some may have to pay out-of-pocket. The new tax cut legislation will also raise the cost of certain doctor visits, requiring copays of up to $35 for some Medicaid enrollees. And for those who do end up in debt, there will be fewer protections. This month, the Trump administration secured permission from a federal court to roll back regulations that would have removed medical debt from consumer credit reports. That puts Americans who cannot pay their medical bills at risk of lower credit scores, hindering their ability to get a loan or forcing them to pay higher interest rates. 'For tens of millions of Americans, balancing the budget is like walking a tightrope,' said Chi Chi Wu, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. 'The Trump administration is just throwing them off.' White House spokesperson Kush Desai did not respond to questions about how the administration's health care policies will affect Americans' medical bills. The president and his Republican congressional allies have brushed off the health care cuts, including hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid retrenchment in the mammoth tax law. 'You won't even notice it,' Trump said at the White House after the bill signing July 4. 'Just waste, fraud, and abuse.' But consumer and patient advocates around the country warn that the erosion of federal health care protections since Trump took office in January threatens to significantly undermine Americans' financial security. 'These changes will hit our communities hard,' said Arika Sánchez, who oversees health care policy at the nonprofit New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. Sánchez predicted many more people the center works with will end up with medical debt. 'When families get stuck with medical debt, it hurts their credit scores, makes it harder to get a car, a home, or even a job,' she said. 'Medical debt wrecks people's lives.' For Americans with serious illnesses such as cancer, weakened federal protections from medical debt pose yet one more risk, said Elizabeth Darnall, senior director of federal advocacy at the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network. 'People will not seek out the treatment they need,' she said. Trump promised a rosier future while campaigning last year, pledging to 'make America affordable again' and 'expand access to new Affordable Healthcare.' Polls suggest voters were looking for relief. About 6 in 10 adults — Democrats and Republicans — say they are worried about being able to afford health care, according to one recent survey, outpacing concerns about the cost of food or housing. And medical debt remains a widespread problem: As many as 100 million adults in the U.S. are burdened by some kind of health care debt. Despite this, key tools that have helped prevent even more Americans from sinking into debt are now on the chopping block. Medicaid and other government health insurance programs, in particular, have proved to be a powerful economic backstop for low-income patients and their families, said Kyle Caswell, an economist at the Urban Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. Caswell and other researchers found, for example, that Medicaid expansion made possible by the 2010 Affordable Care Act led to measurable declines in medical debt and improvements in consumers' credit scores in states that implemented the expansion. 'We've seen that these programs have a meaningful impact on people's financial well-being,' Caswell said. Trump's tax law — which will slash more than $1 trillion in federal health spending over the next decade, mostly through Medicaid cuts — is expected to leave 10 million more people without health coverage by 2034, according to the latest estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The tax cuts, which primarily benefit wealthy Americans, will add $3.4 trillion to U.S. deficits over a decade, the office calculated. The number of uninsured could spike further if Trump and his congressional allies don't renew additional federal subsidies for low- and moderate-income Americans who buy health coverage on state insurance marketplaces. This aid — enacted under former President Joe Biden — lowers insurance premiums and reduces medical bills enrollees face when they go to the doctor or the hospital. But unless congressional Republicans act, those subsidies will expire later this year, leaving many with bigger bills. Federal debt regulations developed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau under the Biden administration would have protected these people and others if they couldn't pay their medical bills. The agency issued rules in January that would have removed medical debts from consumer credit reports. That would have helped an estimated 15 million people. But the Trump administration chose not to defend the new regulations when they were challenged in court by debt collectors and the credit bureaus, who argued the federal agency had exceeded its authority in issuing the rules. A federal judge in Texas appointed by Trump ruled that the regulation should be scrapped. Levey writes for KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
