May 29, 2025
Lake County Leaders Speak Out in Opposition to Proposed Transit Bill
Today, a new transit bill was introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that proposes the removal of the 1/4% Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) sales tax in Lake County and other counties bordering Cook County. This sales tax is a major source of funding for Lake County’s transportation program, providing nearly half of its current budget.
Lake County officials are carefully reviewing this proposal. If passed as it is now, it would reduce the County’s ability to maintain and improve roads, bridges, paths and services that residents, businesses and communities rely on every day.
Statements from Lake County Board Members
Sandy Hart, Lake County Board Chair
"If enacted, this bill would slash over 50 percent of the revenue that funds Lake County’s transportation program. For the next five years, this would lead to the elimination of 132 planned projects, undermining critical infrastructure improvements and ending services like paratransit for seniors and people with disabilities.
It is impossible to cover this loss of revenue, which will have a negative impact on economic development and safety projects.
This money is collected from Lake County residents, and we just get a fraction of it back to fund transportation. To have 100% of this money taken away is unprecedented and unfair to our residents.
We call on the General Assembly to amend this proposal before irreversible damage is done."
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Jennifer Clark, Public Works and Transportation Committee Chair
"Without this funding, we would be forced to shift from modernizing and improving the transportation system to simply trying to maintain what we have, with limited ability to address growing transportation needs. We’re already facing a more than $400 million shortfall for necessary projects, and without this critical revenue source, many of them will never happen.
I urge our state legislators to carefully consider the profound consequences that this proposal, in its current form, would have on our transportation system."
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John Wasik, Legislative Committee Chair
“While we are sympathetic to the funding issues of this agency, it’s unfair to trigger a fiscal calamity for collar counties. Redirecting the RTA sales tax to other purposes would jeopardize or halt 132 projects in Lake County. It would clearly axe jobs by jeopardizing hundreds of millions in contracts, stop $120 million in ADA and non-motorized improvements and severely impair our successful Ride Lake County paratransit service. Let’s find a better solution to fund public transit instead of jumping off another fiscal cliff.”
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What This Funding Supports
Lake County dedicates 100 percent of the 1/4% RTA sales tax to fund a wide range of transportation-related services, projects and infrastructure improvements in Lake County, including:
- 100+ transportation projects planned over the next five years, including grade separations, intersection improvements and corridor enhancements
- Non-motorized and ADA-related improvements, including projects near transit and regional trail systems
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Ride Lake County, the countywide paratransit service for seniors age 60+ and people with disabilities
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Lake County PASSAGE
- Vehicles and equipment used by the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT), including snowplows and maintenance equipment
Lake County will continue to oppose the proposed legislation in its current form. County leaders are actively engaging with state officials, regional stakeholders and legislative partners to ensure the consequences of this proposal are fully understood and considered by legislators before the bill is finalized.
More information about potential funding impacts can be found through the map and project list below:
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