The Kane County Board FY 2026 Projected Funding Shortfall
Kane County government is facing a looming fiscal challenge as it prepares for a projected $40 million shortfall in its 2026 general fund budget. Years of flat revenue, rising expenses, and the expiration of federal pandemic relief have created a structural imbalance that county leaders are now scrambling to address.
In the Kane County Board’s July 24, 2024, Finance Committee, a projection of revenues, expenses and reserves for the General Fund through Fiscal 2027 forecast that revenue in the General Fund fell short of the amount necessary to cover General Fund expenses in 2023 and 2024, and that it is projected to fall short again in 2025 – 2026. The amount of the shortfall has increased each year.
As a result of this gap, the funds available in the County’s Reserve Account, beyond the amounts available in excess of the County’s 90 Day Reserve Target, are approaching depletion, leaving an unfunded budget shortfall of $35.5 Million in Fiscal 2026 and $76.7 Million in Fiscal 2027.
These impending shortfalls, accompanied by failure of the 0.75 percent sales tax referendum, force the County to make drastic cuts.
How did we get here? How do we move forward? These pages offer all the information taxpayers need.
