2027 Community Project Funding Requests

Members of Congress may request funding for specific projects in their communities, so long as the projects have a federal nexus and meet other requirements established by federal law, House Rules, and the Committee to ensure only high-quality projects are requested and funded. Congressman Darin LaHood is authorized to submit 20 submissions for approval for the 16th Congressional District of Illinois. 

 

The following projects were submitted by Congressman Darin LaHood for consideration during the FY2027 Appropriations process and are listed in alphabetical order by project name.

 

Project Name: Alden Rd at O'Brien Rd Intersection Safety
Location of the Project: Alden, Illinois
Project Sponsor: McHenry County
Requested Amount: $400,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the proposed roundabout will help the County achieve its goal of zero fatalities on our highway system by minimizing the number of conflict points at intersections while reducing vehicle travel speed. A common deficiency with the intersection which contributes to crashes is drivers disregarding traffic control devices and failure to yield right-of-way to oncoming traffic. A roundabout will directly address this deficiency by reducing travel speeds and requiring drivers to yield to vehicles already in the intersection.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

Project Name: Boone County Transit Facility Rehabilitation
Location of the Project: Belvidere, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Boone County
Requested Amount: $2,570,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Boone County Transit staff currently operate out of a single room with no space for equipment, meetings, or confidential staff conversations, and the co-location with the senior center has created a persistent public misconception that the transit service is limited to seniors rather than available to all residents. Constructing office space within the new transit facility will consolidate operations into a centralized, publicly visible location where riders can purchase tickets and make reservations, reduce approximately $45,800 in annual indirect overhead and utility costs, and allow those savings to be redirected toward service improvements. The facility is located in an area known for a lower-income population, ensuring greater awareness and accessibility for the residents who stand to benefit most from public transit.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Campus Redevelopment
Location of the Project: Rochelle, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Rochelle Community Hospital
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Rochelle Community Hospital is a 25-bed independent critical access hospital whose oldest infrastructure dates to 1944, with 59 percent of mechanicals in the oldest portions of the building determined to be end-of-life. The six-bed Emergency Department treats between 8,000 and 9,000 patients annually and regularly exceeds capacity, the Laboratory processes over 87,000 specimens per year in less than 2,000 square feet with inadequate climate controls, and the facility's Convenient Care clinic is one of the only urgent care options within a ten-mile radius. The proposed construction will replace the failing 1944 structure with a purpose-built facility that expands emergency capacity, modernizes critical building systems, and ensures continued access to quality healthcare for a rural community with limited alternatives.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: City of Dixon Community Center

Location of the Project: Dixon, Illinois
Project Sponsor: City of Dixon
Requested Amount: $1,400,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the City of Dixon Community Center serves as the primary public recreation, childcare, and youth programming facility for Dixon and the surrounding rural region, and its current layout is operationally constrained in a way that limits the community's ability to meet growing demand. Following the closure of the community's only other structured afterschool provider, youth enrollment increased by more than 50 percent in one year, and the facility cannot accommodate further expansion under its current configuration. The Community Center provides licensed childcare for more than 100 working families in the county and without reliable childcare, parents reduce working hours, exit the workforce, or relocate. Modernizing the facility will expand childcare and youth programming capacity, improve ADA accessibility, and increase access to preventative health and wellness programming in an underserved rural community.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Derby Street Revitalization
Location of the Project: Pekin, Illinois
Project Sponsor: City of Pekin
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the results of the first phase of Derby Street reconstruction provide evidence that this corridor is ripe for revitalization. This second phase of the project, reconstructing the portion from 5th Street to Illinois Highway 29, will positively impact 35 commercial properties, including the Salvation Army and Pekin Outreach Initiative centers. These organizations provide critical assistance to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, financial crisis, mental health challenges, and other debilitating circumstances.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

Project Name: Drinking Water Infrastructure Replacement
Location of the Project: Bloomington, Illinois
Project Sponsor: McLean County
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Colonial Meadows subdivision, an unincorporated county island within McLean County, relies on an obsolete private well and deteriorated underground infrastructure that produces discolored, brown, and cloudy water daily, posing ongoing public health concerns. The subdivision's limited financial capacity makes private system replacement infeasible. The proposed project will install approximately 6,000 linear feet of new water main to connect 84 residential parcels to the City of Bloomington's municipal water system, providing safe, reliable drinking water to an underserved low-income neighborhood while also extending service to adjacent Central Illinois Regional Airport property to support future economic development.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Elevated Water Tower
Location of the Project: Bloomington, Illinois
Project Sponsor: City of Bloomington
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the eastern and southern portions of Bloomington have experienced a water pressure deficiency for decades that remains unresolved. The proposed Division Street and Hamilton Elevated Towers project will construct a two-million-gallon elevated water storage tank to provide stable water service pressures, emergency reserve supply, and improved water quality. The project is a key component of the City's comprehensive Systemwide Potable Water Distribution Improvements program and will permanently resolve a longstanding infrastructure deficiency affecting reliable water service for Bloomington residents.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Elevating Campus Safety
Location of the Project: Eureka, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Eureka College
Requested Amount: $501,260
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because internal incidents on campus requiring a law enforcement response have nearly quadrupled within the last five years, and the City of Eureka and Woodford County conservatively spend up to $50,000 annually processing campus crime incidents due to the college's outdated security infrastructure. The requested funds would modernize campus security through AI-enabled surveillance and weapons detection systems, electronic access control enabling campus-wide lockdown capability, emergency responder building mapping, and protective equipment for sworn officers. Enabling Eureka College to be more self-sufficient in emergencies would directly reduce personnel and budgetary pressure on already strained local law enforcement resources.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Franklin Street Infrastructure Improvements
Location of the Project: Galena, Illinois
Project Sponsor: City of Galena
Requested Amount: $3,067,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Franklin Street carries over 5,400 vehicles per day and serves as the primary access route to Galena's K-12 school campuses yet currently lacks any sidewalk for safe pedestrian travel. The existing water main is the sole connection between the east and west sides of the City's water distribution system, and numerous main breaks have compromised the City's ability to reliably serve the broader community. The project is in final design and ready to proceed to construction, and the Galena School District has invested $50.8 million in improvements to the adjacent school facilities. Reconstructing this corridor will improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and students, replace failing water and storm sewer infrastructure, and protect the significant public investment already made in the project area.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Highway Widening and Resurfacing
Location of the Project: Roanoke, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Woodford County
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current highway was designed and constructed nearly 60 years ago under the design standards of that day. Since then, agricultural and commercial equipment utilizing the highway have increased in size and now cause safety concerns for users. The proposed project will improve the width and geometry of the roadway to meet today’s safety and construction standards and will provide year-round access for the agricultural community transporting goods from farm to market.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Jail Improvements
Location of the Project: Peoria, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Peoria County
Requested Amount: $2,500,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current jail facilities having been originally constructed in 1985 have exceeded their operational life and require full life-cycle replacement. These improvements will bring these critical operations into compliance with safety and food codes and support secure jail operations.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Law Enforcement Officers’ Accelerated Associate's Degree Cohort Program

Location of the Project: Rockford, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Rock Valley College
Requested Amount: $429,502
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the funds secured will be used to pay for the tuition and institutional fees of law enforcement officers desiring to complete the one-year cohort program for completion of an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice at Rock Valley College. An Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice provides law enforcement officers with a foundational understanding of the legal system and enhances critical thinking, analytical, communication and leadership skills, contributing to the safety and well-being of the Rockford community.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Lee County Highway Department Facility
Location of the Project: Amboy, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Lee County
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the existing Lee County Highway Department facility has reached the end of its functional service life and no longer supports safe, simultaneous deployment during severe weather, infrastructure repair, and emergency response operations. The Department maintains 220 miles of county roadway and assists 22 townships with 967 additional miles supporting more than 250 bridges. The facility's outdated configuration and proximity to flood plain conditions limit operational efficiency and long-term resilience. The proposed new facility will modernize essential public works operations, remove critical infrastructure from environmental vulnerability, and include a centralized Emergency Management Agency resource and storage building to improve disaster logistics and equipment staging, ensuring Lee County's rural communities have the resilient operational infrastructure necessary to maintain roadway safety and coordinate effective emergency response.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Marshall County 911 Dispatch Center Addition
Location of the Project: Lacon, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Marshall County Sheriff Department
Requested Amount: $750,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current Marshall County 911 Dispatch Center, operating out of a 150-square-foot room on the second floor of the Sheriff's Office, has become a significant liability to public safety due to infrastructure instability, technological risk, zero disaster resilience, and ADA non-compliance. The facility serves as the county-wide emergency communications lifeline, yet its current condition presents immediate threats to emergency response capabilities. The proposed 1,400-square-foot hardened, ground-level addition to the Sheriff's Office building will resolve these systemic deficiencies, ensure Marshall County meets State of Illinois mandates for Next Generation 911 technology, and provide the resilient, accessible infrastructure necessary to maintain reliable emergency dispatch operations for the county's residents.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Patrol Fleet Modernization
Location of the Project: Peoria, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Peoria Police Department
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the funding will bolster law enforcement efforts and improve the capacity of the Peoria Police Department to improve responsive law enforcement services. The current aging fleet not only impacts operational efficiency but also presents safety concerns for our offices and the community they serve.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Rehabilitation of the Meridian Road Bridge
Location of the Project: Rockton, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Winnebago County
Requested Amount: $1,400,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Meridian Road Bridge over the Pecatonica River, constructed in 1973, has a sufficiency rating of 38.5 under the National Bridge Inspection Standards and a 2023 IDOT-approved condition report rating the deck in poor condition and the superstructure in serious condition. Full-depth deck deterioration has resulted in hazardous holes in the driving surface, requiring the installation of temporary steel plates to maintain safe passage. The bridge carries approximately 1,700 vehicles per day on a major collector route serving rural communities, agricultural operations, and emergency services in northern Winnebago County, and continued deterioration risks lane reductions or closure that would significantly disrupt regional traffic, agricultural transport, and emergency response times.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Shepard and Greenbriar Intersection Improvements
Location of the Project: Normal, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Town of Normal
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current two-way stop design has resulted in right-angle collisions which come with increased risk for fatal and serious injury crashes. Drivers frequently have difficulty making turns at the intersection during the busy morning and evening peak traffic hours. It is particularly difficult to turn onto Shepard Road from Greenbriar Drive, and vehicles making this turn are frequently delayed while waiting for safe turning gaps in oncoming traffic.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: STARCOM21 Radio System Upgrade

Location of the Project: Dixon, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Dixon Police Department
Requested Amount: $371,786
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current Very High Frequency (VHF) radios being used by the Dixon Police Department presents severe office safety concerns and prevents the department from communicating with other local law enforcement agencies and first responders. The proposed new radio system will allow for increased agency interoperability, improved officer safety, and ensure our law enforcement have the necessary tools and resources to effectively keep our local communities safe.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Stark County Administrative Building

Location of the Project: Toulon, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Stark County
Requested Amount: $883,875
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the current Stark County administrative facilities are severely outdated, lack ADA compliance, and no longer adequately serve the needs of residents or county staff. County services are currently spread across multiple buildings, requiring residents to travel between locations to access essential services such as tax records, voting information, and board meeting materials. This creates significant barriers for the public, particularly older adults and individuals with mobility challenges. The proposed new county administrative building will consolidate these essential services under one roof, provide fully ADA-compliant and accessible public spaces, improve public access to county information, enhance security for the neighboring courthouse, and reduce long-term operating costs through energy-efficient design, ensuring that Stark County residents and taxpayers are served by a facility that meets the community's needs.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement

 

Project Name: Water Main Replacement
Location of the Project: Lena, Illinois
Project Sponsor: Village of Lena
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Justification for use of funding: The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because the Village of Lena's water main infrastructure in three critical project areas is over 55 years old, undersized, and failing. Much of the existing water main does not meet the minimum diameter requirements under 10 States Standards for fire protection, and the Village has experienced numerous main breaks in recent years along with existing dead-end water mains. Residents in these areas face low water pressure, insufficient pressure for fire protection, recurring boil orders during main breaks, and significant service downtime. The proposed project will replace the deteriorating water mains across the three highest-need locations, providing reliable water service and adequate fire protection capacity for Village residents.

Member Financial Disclosure Certification and Federal Nexus Statement