KANE COUNTY MISSION STATEMENT:
The Mission of Kane County Government is to be accountable to its citizens in providing innovative and high quality government services in an economical, fair, professional, and courteous manner to enhance and protect the health, welfare, and safety of those who live and work in Kane County.
KANE COUNTY VISION STATEMENT:
Kane County is committed to:
Being an innovative and strategic leader in providing essential and effective public services in a fiscally prudent manner;
Being good stewards of the natural and economic resources that make up our unique urban and rural communities; Adapting to and providing governmental services to a growing and diverse population;
Promoting and environment that advocates health, welfare and safety;
Encouraging and valuing citizen communication, input, and involvement in governing so that residents are proud to call Kane County “home”.
Kane County is one of the collar counties surrounding the Chicago metropolitan area and lies on the western edge of the northeastern Illinois region. The county is approximately 522 square miles in area and has a 2000 population of 404,119 for an overall population density of 776.5 people per square mile. The 2004 population estimate (472,482) already surpassed projections for the year 2010. By the year 2030, the expected population was 692,346 but could go much higher.
The most notable natural feature in Kane County is the Fox River. The headwaters of the Fox are in southern Wisconsin and flows over a rocky bed from Clinton until some distance below the southern line of Kane into Kendall County. The largest cities in the county, Aurora (which is the second largest in Illinois with a population of 142,990 per 2000 census) and Elgin, grew up along the Fox years ago when energy harnessed from the river supported a variety of industries. In addition to having a thriving commercial base, farming has long been a way of life and important economic activity in Kane County. Some farmland is now being converted to accommodate increased growth. In an effort to preserve the rich agricultural heritage, the County Board approved purchasing agricultural easements as part of the Kane county Farmland Preservation Program and the Federal Farmland Protection Program. This commitment to protecting and preserving farmland has resulted in the purchase of over 2500 acres of farmland so far.
Kane County is experiencing rapid development growth and has done some long-range planning to address this issue. The County Board recently adopted the 2030 Land Resource Manage Plan. This update of the award winning 2020 Land Resource Management Plan (adopted in 1996) will continue to serve as the County Board’s land use strategy and policy guide through this period of growth. In this Plan, the county has been divided into three areas: the Urban Corridor (the eastern portion of the county), the Critical Growth Corridor (the middle portion of the county that is experiencing the most development pressure), and the Agricultural/Rural Corridor (the western portion of the county) that is anticipated to remain mostly farmland. In addition, the County Board also adopted a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan in 1998 to provide for a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to stormwater and floodplain management. In late 2004 the County Board adopted the 2030 Transportation Plan whose primary objective was to develop a balanced transportation plan that responded to both existing deficiencies and projected countywide development trends. Finally, the County began a countywide Strategic Plan process in 2005 to comprehensively address issues with a long term plan.
The Kane County governing body is the County Board. Its primary function is to establish the various budgets of the county funds and to levy taxes for county purposes. Also, the County Board adopts ordinances and rules pertaining to the management and business of the county departments. In 1991, the Illinois General Assembly mandated a tax cap for Kane and several other counties, limiting yearly increases in local government collections to 5 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.
Kane County is comprised of 26 County Board districts. One County Board member is elected from each district for a four-year term. Half of the Board is elected every two years. There are ten countywide elected offices:
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
CORONER
COUNTY AUDITOR
COUNTY BOARD CHAIRMAN
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY TREASURER/COLLECTOR
COUNTY RECORDER
REG. OFFICE OF EDUCATION - SUPT.
SHERIFF
STATE’S ATTORNEY
In addition, a Chief Judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit is chosen every two years by the elected judges of the Circuit Court. There are 18 Circuit Judges that serve six-year terms with nomination at primary elections, and are elected by the voters of the three counties in the 16th Judicial Circuit.
Kane County Government is comprised of 27 departments at different geographical locations throughout the county. In 2006 there are more than 1600 employees with approximately 51% of the employees being union members.