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Elgin Today
By the People, for the People
Kane County Reallocates COVID-19 Relief Funds Before Deadline
Board approves transfers to HVAC, environmental projects as 2026 spending deadline approaches
Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:41am
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The Kane County Board has voted to reallocate some of its remaining COVID-19 relief funds to projects like HVAC improvements at the Kane County Justice Center and initiatives at the county's Environmental and Water Resources Department. The federal ARPA funds the county received must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.
Why it matters
As the deadline to spend the ARPA funds approaches, Kane County is working to ensure it utilizes all of the $103 million it received to support its pandemic response and recovery efforts. The reallocations allow the county to shift funds from projects that came in under budget to other priority initiatives before the spending deadline.
The details
On Tuesday, the Kane County Board approved several fund transfers to use up the remaining ARPA money the county must spend by the end of 2026. The reallocations include funding for HVAC improvements at the Kane County Justice Center and projects at the county's Environmental and Water Resources Department. Last year, the county made similar reallocations, shifting funds from initiatives like microfilm archiving and technology improvements to other priorities.
- The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
- Local entities nationwide had until the end of 2024 to allocate the ARPA funds they received.
- The ARPA funds can be spent through the end of 2026, but only on projects or services authorized before Dec. 31, 2024.
- Kane County received around $103 million in total ARPA funds.
- As of early 2026, around $22 million of the county's federal pandemic funds remained to be spent.
The players
Kane County Board
The governing body of Kane County, Illinois that voted to reallocate the county's remaining COVID-19 relief funds.
Vern Tepe
A Kane County Board member and chair of the county's American Rescue Plan Committee.
Mavis Bates
A Kane County Board member who commented on the reallocations, stating they were "nickels and dimes" but ensured the county "left no money on the table" of the $103 million it received.
What they’re saying
“This seems like nickels and dimes, but what it has done is made sure that we left no money on the table of that $103 million.”
— Mavis Bates, Kane County Board member
What’s next
The Kane County Board will continue to monitor the spending of the remaining $22 million in ARPA funds to ensure the county utilizes all of the federal relief money it received before the 2026 deadline.
The takeaway
Kane County is working diligently to allocate and spend its full allotment of $103 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act before the 2026 deadline, reallocating money between projects to maximize the impact of the federal aid on the county's pandemic response and recovery efforts.
