​JOLIET--  At today's Will County Board Meeting, members approved the appointment of Sherry Newquist to the board's vacant position in District 1. The appointment comes after the previous representative of District 1, Laurie Summers of Crete, left her position earlier this year on the Board to take a new job.
 
Newquist was selected by the Will County Democratic Central Committee to serve the remainder of Summers’ term, as the party of the departing board member gets to select the replacement.
 
"We’re excited for Sherry to join us in our work on the County Board," said Board Speaker Denise Winfrey (D-Joliet). "I look forward to working with a full board to accomplish all of the important things that are expected of us by the residents of Will County." 

JOLIET – The Will County Board has approved a balanced budget of $624 million for the upcoming fiscal year that contains no new taxes and continues to provide essential services to taxpayers. For the fifth year in a row, the board has lowered the tax rate. The 2019 tax rate will be 0.5795% which is lower than the 2018 tax rate of 0.5927%.
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“I’m proud of the hard work that everyone at the county has done to put this budget together,” said County Board Member and Finance Chair Kenneth Harris (D-Bolingbrook). “Our budget for fiscal year 2020 meets all of our debt obligations, includes a five year road and capital plan, and includes $108 million in funding to complete the new courthouse and a new state of the art Health Department.”

"We oppose the proposed casino in the village of Matteson since its impact has not yet been carefully considered and studied. The current proposed site at the corner of US 30 and Harlem Avenue is 1500 feet from a school and only 400 feet from a residential neighborhood. While Will County has no direct say in where a Matteson casino would be built, our residents will be impacted. We urge the village of Matteson to consider their neighbors in Will County and the quality of life for our region as a whole when deciding the location of this casino."