News on Virgil Development

Aurora Beacon-News
February 1, 2005

Kane might turn to consultant for land-buying aid

By Steve Lord
STAFF WRITER

GENEVA — As the Kane County Farmland Preservation Commission met Monday night, it considered how to preserve more farmland with less money.

And one of the ways might be through something County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles, is ready to recommend to the full board — a Washington, D.C., consultant.

McConnaughay has been talking about a consultant — basically a lobbyist but not quite the same — for several weeks. By Wednesday, she will have someone to recommend to the board's Executive Committee, with an eye toward full approval by the County Board next week.

The position is similar to a lobbyist in that the person will be in Washington, and will deal with the Illinois delegation in Congress, pushing to get federal money for Kane projects.

But it will be more of a consultant in that actual lobbying of legislators will be minimal. McConnaughay pointed out that because Kane County already has a direct line to Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Yorkville, the county does not need someone lobbying legislators full-time.

What it needs more is someone who can keep track of federal programs, and what kind of money is available. That person also would assist Kane officials in writing grant applications.

"What we really need is to have somebody on the ground, who can find out where that money is," McConnaughay said. "Then I can step in and contact our legislators directly — talk to the Speaker of the House — and say, 'Here's what Kane County needs.'"

McConnaughay is hurrying the process because the appropriation cycle in Washington is about to begin. Already, Kane officials have filled out some grant applications for federal dollars that might be available for jail construction, a high priority for any funding county officials can find.

McConnaughay was inspired to look for a consultant because of how well the arrangement has worked for neighboring DuPage County. She said officials there have not been bashful about admitting they got as much as $33 million in federal money in the past year because of their lobbyist in Washington.

"Just about every county is moving in that direction," she said.

DuPage County spends just short of $200,000 for its lobbyist. McConnaughay estimated Kane would spend less than that.

As far as farmland protection is concerned, Kane County needs little lobbying effort to get federal funds. Kane has the only farmland protection program in the state, so any federal dollars allocated for Illinois will go to Kane.

Kane has received about $4.8 million for the program from the federal government since 2001.

But the money is only available if Kane County matches it dollar for dollar. That's where local money is needed. The local money has come from the tax on the Grand Victoria riverboat casino in Elgin, and that tax has dwindled by more than half over several years.

At one time, the county received as much as $12 million a year from the Grand Victoria tax; last year, the allocation was about $5 million.

Kane County has put about $11 million of its own money into farmland preservation since 2001. The $4.8 million from the federal government was matched and more.

But the bulk of the local money came early in the process. The total amount spent during the past three years has been: 2002, about $3.7 million; 2003, about $2.6 million; and 2004, about $2.5 million. Half of that was federal money, half local.

That has allowed the county to buy development rights on more than 3,000 acres of farmland, mostly in Kaneville and Big Rock townships. Buying development rights means the landowner retains private ownership of the land, but gives up the right to develop it to the county. The county holds an easement on the property, requiring it to stay in agricultural use.

After Monday night, the county has about another 2,000 acres under consideration.

McConnaughay pointed out that Kane already has most of its riverboat allocation committed to other local projects. One of the biggest is stormwater and groundwater supply projects.

She said if the county can find some federal dollars for those projects, it could free up more riverboat money for projects like farmland preservation.

"I think it's a good program," said McConnaughay. "We will never have enough to buy all the farmland we could. But for every farm you save, that's land that's not going to become housing."

McConnaughay said in addition to trying to free up more riverboat funds, the County Board is going to have to tighten up its spending priorities.

02/01/05