Kane County Administration Committee Chairman Chris Kias and county staff on Oct. 15 presented a 2026 capital expense budget of $8,900,000 and a five‑year capital plan that relies heavily on carryover funds and ARPA allocations, and warned of tighter capital capacity in 2027 and beyond.

Roger Fonstock, who identified himself as representing IT and building management, told the committee: "The capital expense budget is $8,800,000." He and staff explained that most 2026 spending is funded from project carryover from 2025 and existing capital fund balances rather than new general‑fund allocations. Fonstock said the county expects roughly $800,000 to $1,000,000 to remain in the capital fund if all 2026 projects finish, and cautioned that carryover and fund‑balance use will leave less capital available approaching 2027.

The nut graf: the committee approved the capital project list submitted to finance while staff said major 2026 items are continuations of multi‑year work (ARPA‑funded HVAC projects, judicial campus fire panel replacements and lifecycle HVAC/IT equipment replacement). The five‑year projection, prepared by staff, shows increasing needs in later years—particularly for exterior work on the Judicial Center and Third Street Courthouse—unless additional funding is identified.

Most of the projects presented are continuations of long‑running maintenance and ARPA‑supported upgrades. Staff said roughly $7 million in encumbrances and ARPA projects will carry into 2026, reducing the amount of new capital spending that must be budgeted for next year. Fonstock walked the committee through a line‑item list and a five‑year projection showing a plan total of $30,485,480 across the five years and a recommended even distribution that would require roughly $1.4 million added to the capital fund by 2027 to maintain the suggested pace.

Major building management projects highlighted in the presentation included completion of ARPA HVAC and pipe‑chase work at the Adult Justice Center; a planned $1.2 million HVAC kitchen upgrade and a roughly $2.2 million (bid) kitchen renovation; completion of a multi‑million‑dollar fire‑panel replacement across judicial facilities; replacement and lifecycle work on condensers, compressors and VAV boxes; an impound lot and additional surface parking at the judicial campus; repairs and historic‑roof work for the Amasa White building; and improvements at the Fabian recycling lot. IT items emphasized lifecycle replacement for desktops and laptops and a planned time‑and‑attendance replacement budgeted at $400,000.

Committee members asked about sequencing and the source of ARPA funds, and whether non‑capital ARPA line items or delayed ARPA projects freed up money for capital. Fonstock said ARPA still funded many HVAC projects and that some ARPA journal entries had been moved into the capital fund; he emphasized legal and grant limits on how ARPA money may be used.

Action: the committee voted to approve the updated capital projects list as submitted to finance. The motion was moved by Arroyo Garcia and seconded by (not specified); roll call recorded committee members voting in the affirmative and the motion passed.