CALHOUN COMMISSIONERS RECEIVE update on funding for ferry purchase

By Editor | June 17, 2026 |

By Steven Spencer

The Calhoun County Commissioners heard an update regarding the use of federal and state funding for the purchase of a tug and barge from the Calhoun Ferry Company.
Kyle Godar, Calhoun County Engineer, said in the last two weeks the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) received clear direction from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on how to proceed in the process of utilizing funding from both agencies for the ferry purchase.
By using funding from the IDOT as well as the FHWA, this allows the county to use federal and state funds only for the purchase of a tug and barge, no county tax dollars.
Godar said the county has had the Ferry Boat Program funding available from the FHWA for quite a while and has been looking at ways the citizens of Calhoun could benefit from spending it.
“Going on 10 years I’ve been looking at this and trying to figure out a way to spend it in a way that benefits the residents of Calhoun without putting an additional tax burden on the taxpayers,” Godar said. “I think we have that here with a potential project. We’ve got state money, that’s basically our seed money to act as matching money, to purchase vessels with no direct Calhoun County taxpayer money involved in the purchase.”
“This funding is very highly controlled by Federal Highways and has a lot of intricate details about how it can be spent,” he added. “Everything that we get will come from IDOT. It will all be preauthorized by them before we ever spend a dime of anything.”
Godar said there have been some unexpected issues to overcome, like Build America Buy America requirements, but the state is supportive in helping with the process to purchase the ferry.
“The state is interested in helping us and have done so by giving us this initial start-up money,” Godar said. “So it’s very likely that if future funds become available, we will get additional assistance.”
The funding agreement will be asking for $499,000 of Federal Ferry Boat funds in combination with $580,000 of state Local Project Funding money, to be used to appraise and purchase those two vessels. An exact purchase price for the tug and barge won’t be known until the appraisal.
Godar said that in order to spend the federal funds, there has to be public involvement, which will be the next step.
“We simply open it up for public comment, so people can email or mail comments to my office,” Godar said.
Following public input and comment, a funding agreement will be ready for the Commissioners in July.
“I’m hoping our July meeting we can have, in hand, a funding agreement to execute for that acquisition,” Godar said. “It will be specifically for, nothing more, than the purchase of those two vessels and that is it.”
Godar added that there will also need to be an operating agreement along with the funding agreement.
“This is all being done on the premise that Calhoun County is staying out of the operating part of the ferry and we will own the equipment and bear equipment capital expenses only,” he said. “The operator will be hired and the operating expenses will be covered by tolls.”
At a previous meeting, a concern was raised about the requirements for going out for public bid. However, State’s Attorney Lucas Fanning said a letter from IDOT states authorization for the sole-source procurement of these boats, so that shouldn’t be any concern.