The La Grange Park Village Board voted unanmously April 22 to approve an operating budget for Fiscal 2025-2026 that includes spending of about $26.5 million and an estimated $671,780 deficit.
The budget calls for spending $26,540,330 in the fiscal year beginning May 1, against estimated revenue of $25,868,550. The deficit would be covered by the village’s cash reserves.
Trustee Bob Lautner said the Finance Committee he chairs held meetings March 11, March 18, and April 8 to review the draft budget.
Lautner said the committee recommended budgeting for one additional police officer before approving the plan.
The fund with the most prominent expenditures will be the general fund, which estimates spending $10,480,940, or 40% of total village expenses.
The water fund comes in next at $5,662,500, or 21%, followed by the sewer fund at $2,091,440 (8%), the capital projects fund at $2,062,780 (8%), the police pension fund at $1,837,180 (7%), and the motor fuel tax fund at $1,577,750 (5%).
The top expenses are wages and salaries, estimated at $6,520,780, and capital spending at $6,508,320, each accounting for 25% of the spending.
Other prominent classification expenditures are professional services at $3,801,125, pensions and benefits at $3,006,465, and water at $2,317,600.
Key budget items are the lead service line replacement program beginning this year, road infrastructure and bond planning, stormwater infrastructure and flood mitigation, and strengthening public safety with improvements to Police and Fire departments.
Water and sewer projects include a water and sewer rate study and 2.9% rate increase effective May 1, water main replacements at Kings Court and Castle Circle, a new customer portal allowing residents to monitor their water usage, a remote water pressure monitoring system to detect leaks and the annual sewer relining program.
Roadway projects will be the Park Road resurfacing, phase 1 of the La Grange Road engineering study to guide safety improvements, a review of the 31st Street Corridor for traffic improvement and the annual street maintenance and patching.
Lautner urged residents to take the time to learn about village finances.
“It’s well worth everybody’s time to understand what goes into running this village as efficiently as it is being run,” he said.
Trustee Mike Sheehan said he was pleased with the budget, particularly with the addition of a new full-time police officer.
“It’s definitely fiscally responsible, we don’t kick the can down the road nor do we spend what we don’t have,” Sheehan said.
The next La Grange Park Village Board meeting will be 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at the Village Hall, 447 N. Catherine Ave.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
