Government Affairs Roundup
“Your Timely Roundup of Local, State, and Federal Updates”
Chamber members:
Elections have (pretty much) wrapped up outside of counting mail-in ballots. November 17 is the final day for the County Clerk to receive mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day. See below for a recap of results including a link to the County Clerk website to see full counts.
On Monday evening, the Joliet City Council approved the city’s 2026 Property Tax Levy. The City Council approved collecting $64.77 million in property taxes for 2026, with new properties helping support the increase in revenue. The City’s property tax rate is expected to stay flat for the fifth year in a row. Additionally, the Joliet City Council voted to approve the city’s 2027 annual budget at $751 million.
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Election Results
Will County countywide races include Clerk, Sheriff, Treasurer, and Regional Superintendent of Schools. Those races currently look like the following:
- Clerk: Michelle Stiff (D) leading Annette Parker (R)
- Sheriff: Patrick Jones (D) leading Jim Reilly ( R )
- Treasurer: Tim Brophy (D) leading Carmen Maurella (R )
- Regional Superintendent of Schools: Theresa Rouse (D) leading Lisa Caparelli-Ruff (R )
Full results can be found here: https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/IL/Will/127394/web.345435/#/summary
On the state side, Democratic incumbent J.B. Pritzker and Christian Mitchell lead Republican Darren Bailey and Aaron Del Mar in the race for the Governor’s office. The Democratic Party of Illinois is leading in a sweep of elections for statewide offices. For attorney general, Democratic incumbent Kwame Raoul leads Republican Bob Fioretti, for secretary of state, Democratic incumbent Alexi Giannoulias leads Joliet Republican Diane Harris. For treasurer, Democratic incumbent Mike Frerichs leads Republican Max Solomon and for comptroller, Democrat Margaret Croke leads Republican Bryan Drew in this open seat.
As of this report, Illinois’ legislative majority will be increasing by eight in the House of Representatives and five to seven in the Senate. Local races see Democratic incumbents Dee Avelar and Natalie Manley leading their Representative district races as well as Larry Walsh, Jr. who ran unopposed along with Jessica Dixon Heitman who leads Gabby Shanahan in the 97th.
Current Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton is the projected winner of the U.S. Senate race in Illinois.
Democrats likely will take control of both chambers of Congress early next year as Democrats flipped more than 20 seats in the U.S. House and six in the U.S. Senate – in Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
NITA’s New $5B Transit Budget Reflects Massive Revenue Influx
With a major infusion of new funding easing the region’s transit financial pressures, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority’s (NITA) preliminary 2027 budget calls for a significant increase in spending to expand bus and rail service across the region.
NITA, which replaced the Regional Transportation Authority on Sept. 1, is proposing a $5.04 billion operating budget, compared with the $4.35 billion initially approved for 2026 before additional transit funding became available. That represents an increase of nearly 16%.
The proposed budget also marks a significant change in how regional transit finances are managed. Rather than having Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) prepare separate budgets, NITA officials are now responsible for coordinating a single regional financial plan.
Among the proposed improvements are a transit ambassador program, expanded weekend service on Metra and additional Pace express buses. The plan also emphasizes better connections between the three transit systems, making it easier for riders to transfer between services.
NITA’s own operating budget is projected to reach $401 million, compared with the former RTA’s $48.8 million allocation for 2026. However, about half of that amount will be directed to the transit agencies or used to implement NITA’s regional reforms.
Under the proposed allocations, the CTA would receive approximately $2.5 billion for operations, up from $2.23 billion initially budgeted for 2026. Metra would receive $1.23 billion, an increase of $59 million, while Pace’s allocation would rise to $381.7 million, approximately $9 million above current levels.
The separate five-year, $9.73 billion capital budget allocates $6.39 billion to the CTA, $2.16 billion to Metra and $412 million to Pace.
A central goal of the new budget is to better coordinate service among the three transit agencies and makes transfers more convenient for riders. Under the plan, passengers will be able to transfer between Pace buses and CTA trains and buses at no additional cost, according to budget documents.
NITA also plans to spend $5 million studying potential transit connection hubs — locations where passengers can conveniently transfer between different transit services. The study will identify where improvements are most needed and where new hubs could better connect the region, officials said.
More than $7 million is earmarked for new signage along a Metra line to provide better information about connecting services. Another $4 million is reserved for digital signs at CTA bus stops that would provide real-time Metra and Pace information at transfer locations.
The CTA’s proposed budget includes several service expansions, including round-the-clock service on six bus routes: the No. 12 Roosevelt, No. 35 31st/35th, No. 47 47th, No. 72 North, No. 85 Central and No. 155 Devon.
The agency also plans to extend some bus routes to improve connections with rail stations. Proposed changes include extending the No. 54 Cicero bus to the Midway Orange Line station and the No. 90 Harlem bus to the Forest Park Blue Line station.
However, the proposal does not appear to include dedicated funding for 24-hour service on the CTA’s Orange Line, an idea first announced last year by acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen. Neither NITA nor the CTA commented on whether the expansion remains under consideration.
The CTA also anticipates increasing its transit operations workforce by 109 positions, a category that includes bus and train operators. The agency hopes to add an 18-member power-cleaning crew as well.
For suburban riders, Metra’s proposed capital projects include purchasing new railcars, upgrading stations in downtown Chicago and the suburbs, including Deerfield, and making track improvements.
Pace’s capital projects include new bus purchases, development of an electric bus garage in Waukegan and creation of the Pulse Cermak/22nd Street Line, which would connect Cicero with Yorktown Center in Lombard.
The expanded budget is largely the result of the 2025 NITA Act, approved by the General Assembly to address a projected financial crisis facing Metra, Pace and the CTA. The legislation increased the regional sales tax and redirected a portion of state sales tax revenue from motor fuel to support public transportation.
Initial estimates projected the legislation would generate approximately $1.2 billion in additional annual operating revenue for transit. The latest projections put that figure at approximately $1.3 billion.
The law also requires NITA to identify $46.9 million in savings during 2027. The authority is proposing $60 million in savings, including reductions in staffing levels and increased use of part-time bus drivers. At the same time, NITA’s budget planners anticipate adding 439 positions across the organization and transit agencies.
Security remains a significant spending priority, with approximately $144 million allocated for CTA security initiatives. Plans include increasing the number of Chicago police officers and privately contracted K-9 security guards patrolling the system.
The budget projects an average of 180 Chicago police officers assigned to the CTA each day in 2027, up from an average of 150 this year. K-9 security staffing is expected to increase by an average of 10 guards per day.
The proposal also includes $10 million to address slow zones, where aging or deteriorating tracks force trains to operate at reduced speeds. The funding is particularly relevant to the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line, which has experienced persistent slow-zone problems.
NITA will hold a series of public hearings before its board votes on the proposed budget. Additional information about the budget and hearing schedule is available at nita.illinois.gov.
$5 Billion in Financing Offer to Spur Nuclear Development
The Trump administration is offering Constellation Energy Corp. up to $5 billion in financing to upgrade and modernize its fleet of nuclear reactors in Illinois, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The projects, backed by a conditional loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy, are expected to add nearly 1.1 gigawatts of electricity to the grid, helping strengthen energy reliability and potentially lower costs. Constellation shares rose 2.6% Tuesday following the announcement.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the financing at Constellation’s Byron nuclear plant in Illinois, which recently became part of a separate agreement to supply electricity to Google. “We said we were going to launch a nuclear renaissance, and I can assure you we are all in on doing that,” Wright said during the announcement, standing near one of the plant’s massive cooling towers.
Growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centers is driving renewed interest in nuclear power. However, permitting and building new reactors can take a decade or more. Upgrading existing facilities and equipment, including turbines, offers a faster and less expensive way to increase electricity production from carbon-free nuclear energy.
The financing is part of President Trump’s broader effort to expand nuclear power to meet rising electricity demand from data centers and support domestic manufacturing. It follows an executive order establishing a goal of adding 5 gigawatts of generating capacity through upgrades at existing nuclear plants. The Energy Department said 96% of that goal has been achieved.
Constellation plans to make investments at six Illinois nuclear plants — Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle and Quad Cities — along with Calvert Cliffs in Maryland and Limerick in Pennsylvania. The projects are designed to increase electricity output from the existing facilities. The financing, provided through the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, also includes an option to support future capacity upgrades at other Constellation plants.
“The uprates that we are talking about here are some of the fastest and most cost-effective ways for us to add new electrons to the grid today,” said Dan Eggers, a senior executive vice president at Constellation, during the event at Byron. “They allow us to safely increase output on the grid without having to build new plants, bring on new infrastructure on the transmission grid or bring on new employees.”
Constellation has announced several similar agreements this year, expanding its plans to upgrade much of its nuclear fleet.
Earlier this month, the company announced a separate agreement involving its Byron facility and Google. Constellation plans to invest $4.3 billion to upgrade 11 reactors, increasing generating capacity by a combined 890 megawatts. The additional electricity will be supplied to Google data centers through a 20-year power-purchase agreement.
Follow-up/reminders
City of Joliet Comprehensive Plan
The City of Joliet’s draft Comprehensive Plan is now available for public review on the City’s website at www.joliet.gov/comprehensiveplan. Residents are encouraged to review the draft and attend the final Community Workshop on Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Joliet West High School.
The draft plan follows more than a year of community engagement, including focus groups, surveys, and workshops that generated more than 2,600 interactions. It establishes a long-term framework for growth and development in Joliet, with recommendations addressing housing, transportation, economic development, and other community priorities.
At the October 29 workshop, residents will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft recommendations, review the vision for different areas of Joliet, and identify the actions they believe will have the greatest impact on the city’s future. The workshop is open to the public, and participation in previous planning activities is not required.
For those unable to attend, an online comment portal will be available on the City’s website beginning Friday, October 30. Residents may also submit comments by email to comprehensiveplan@joliet.gov.
Feedback received at the workshop and online will help inform revisions to the plan before it is presented to City Council for adoption in early 2027. For questions about the Comprehensive Plan or Community Workshop, please contact City Hall at 815-724-4000.
SBA Offers Relief
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the availability of low- interest federal disaster loans for businesses, private nonprofits, and residents affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flash flooding occurring June 6 – 26.
The declaration covers the Indiana counties of Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Elkhart, Floyd, Gibson, Harrison, Jasper, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Lake, Marshall, Newton, Noble, Pike, Porter, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, St. Joseph, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Washington, the Illinois counties of Cook, Kankakee, Wabash, White, and Will, the Kentucky counties of Carroll, Daviess, Hardin, Henderson, Jefferson, Meade, and Trimble, as well as the Michigan counties of Cass and St. Joseph, which are eligible for both physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from SBA.
Businesses and private nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damage, as verified by SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.
“When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers perform an important role by assisting small businesses and their communities,” said Chris Stallings, Associate Administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery at SBA. “At these centers, our specialists help business owners and residents apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to support their recovery.”
The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and private nonprofits — including faith-based organizations — impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.625% for private nonprofits, and 3.00% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Federal Reserve’s 2026 Small Business Credit Survey
Owners and key financial decision makers of for-profit businesses, share your recent experiences about what financial conditions you face, whether and how you use debt, and more. Your perspective matters. Answers to these questions contribute to data that directly informs the Fed, federal government agencies, service providers, policymakers, and others, a public good ultimately benefiting your business and others like yours.
Survey closes November 30. Click below to take the 12-minute survey now:
https://fedreserveboard.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38k9xZy8ayEERue?orgID=20261024
Stay well,
Mike Paone
Executive Vice President
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
mpaone@jolietchamber.com
815.727.5371 main
815.727.5373 direct