A state Senate bill introduced Feb. 18 would allow Kane County and Will County to impose a $30 judicial-services fee to help fund construction of new or expanded facilities.

The new bill would shift some of the costs of facility expansion from property taxes to user fees.

Senate Bill 1336 introduced to the 99th General Assembly by state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, would allow the Kane County Board and the Will County Board to pass ordinances that impose different rates for various categories of civil and criminal cases. To charge the fee, either county would need the concurrence of its chief judge of the Circuit Court.

In civil cases, the fee would be paid by each party involved in the lawsuit at the time of filing the first pleading or appearance.

In felony, misdemeanor, local or county ordinance, traffic and conservation cases, the fee would be assessed against the defendant upon the entry of a judgment.

For local or county ordinance, traffic and conservation violation cases, if fines are paid in full without a court appearance, then the fee would not be imposed or collected.

Under the bill, proceeds of all fees would be deposited into the county’s Judicial Department Facilities Construction Fund and used for the sole purpose of funding in whole or in part the costs associated with building new judicial facilities within the county.

Back in June, the Kane County Board heard a presentation by Wight & Company that outlined prospective plans for the Kane County Judicial Center over the next 20 years. The first step in that plan is an addition to the present judicial center that could cost between $80 million and $100 million and could begin as soon as the next year or two.

According to that presentation, a new addition would be built onto the present Judicial Center on the grassy area immediately north of the present facility. The new, four-story wing would house clerk’s records on the “lake level,” security and Circuit Clerk’s offices on the entrance level, new courtrooms on the second level and State’s Attorney’s offices on the third level.

The county presently is undertaking a $1.178 million project to repair the Judicial Center’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, the hot-water system and a laundry list of 449 life-safety, building-design, control-system, general equipment and maintenance issues. As of December, Kane County Operations Staff Executive Don Biggs said 320 of 449 service issues had been addressed, and at that time, the repair work was projected to be $430,000 under budget.