Will County Committee Members Debate Future Capital Priorities, Clash on Borrowing

Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | November 4, 2025

Article Summary: After learning Will County could borrow over $100 million for new projects, members of the Capital Improvements Committee began an initial debate on how to address aging county facilities. The discussion revealed differing opinions on project priorities, such as a new parking garage versus building renovations, and conflicting philosophies on taking on new debt.

Future Capital Projects Debate Key Points:

• The discussion was prompted by a financial presentation showing the county has significant borrowing capacity for capital projects.

• Priorities discussed included the aging county administration building, judicial office buildings, and county-wide parking shortages.

• Committee members expressed differing views, with some advocating for a cautious approach to new debt while others explored large-scale solutions.

The Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, began grappling with the future of its aging buildings, sparking a debate over project priorities and the wisdom of taking on significant new debt.

The discussion followed a presentation showing the county could borrow more than $100 million for new capital projects without increasing its annual debt payments. The county faces looming, multi-million-dollar needs for facilities like the current county administration building and the offices for the State’s Attorney and Public Defender.

Committee Chair Mica Freeman (D-Plainfield) suggested that a comprehensive parking solution could be a priority, noting that parking shortages affect employees and the public at both the main county campus and downtown Joliet judicial facilities.

However, board member Mark Revis (R-Plainfield) argued against borrowing for that purpose. “I don’t think that our parking problem meets the threshold of borrowing this kind of money,” Revis said. “For me, borrowing money is something that I’m strongly opposed to… it would have to be a very important reason for me to support it.” Revis advocated to “keep our powder dry and then wait to use bonds sparingly.”

Board member Jackie Traynere (D-Bolingbrook) recalled past plans from 2010 that included building a new, taller county building and a parking garage on the current administrative campus. “I’m glad to know now how much we can borrow, but that doesn’t really tell us how much we can build,” Traynere said, emphasizing the need for a concrete plan.

No formal decisions were made, but the conversation marked the committee’s first step in developing a long-term capital plan to address the county’s infrastructure needs.