Kane County wants to create jobs with riverboat money

Last year, Kane County, in a sense, handed a hungry man a fish when it decided to use more riverboat gambling proceeds to fund food pantries.

This year, the county will teach that hungry man how to fish instead by using more riverboat money to fund projects that will create local jobs.

The move comes as the county cut in half the amount of riverboat proceeds it typically sets aside for farmland preservation activities in favor of doing more to address the lingering impact of the economic recession.

Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay applauded the Riverboat Committee's allocation decisions.

"These projects will create more than 2,000 temporary or full-time jobs over the next year," McConnaughay said. "Every single application we get is worthwhile and valuable. This year, we put some things aside to fund projects that really create jobs."

All told, the county will dole out nearly $2.2 million worth of riverboat money in local grants. The full county board is expected to approve the list of grant recipients at its meeting Tuesday.

Top 10 riverboat grant recipients:

1. Kane County Farmland Preservation - $500,000

2. Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry - $100,000 (Purchase/build out of new facility)

3. University of Illinois extension office - $98,000 (Program support)

4. Kane County Information Technology Department - $85,000 (Website development)

5. City of St. Charles - $80,000 (Bob Leonard Riverwalk project)

6. Village of Big Rock - $75,000 (Wastewater treatment facility)

6. Northern Illinois Food Bank - $75,000 (Demonstration kitchen)

8. Campton Township - $60,000 (Town hall restoration)

9. Easter Seals of DuPage/Fox Valley - $58,000 (Equipment, computers, furniture for new center)

10. Village of South Elgin - $50,000 (Shoreline stabilization)

10. Kane County Court Appointed Special Advocate - $50,000 (Advocate training)

10. Kaneland Public Fire and Safety - $50,000 (Training facility and burn tower)