The Niles Village Board approved a $127 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which began May 1, at its April 23 meeting. The figure includes tax increment financing operating expenses and capital improvement project costs for the village.
The board approved the budget with an 8% increase in revenue and an 8% increase in expenses. The budget includes an expense of $30 million in capital improvement projects and revenue of $10 million in grants from the state and federal governments.
Revenue and losses
The budget anticipates a 1% increase in sales tax revenue from the 2024 fiscal year to the 2025 fiscal year, which the village pegged at $12 million.
The village anticipates earning $50,000 more than last year in motel taxes and an additional $70,000 in liquor licenses.
The budget also anticipates a loss of $750,000 in ambulance fees, $68,000 in video gaming fees and $50,000 in family service Medicare billing fees.
Expenses
The village board approved cost-of-living raises for the village’s employees and staff. Most employees received a 2.5% raise. The village manager received a 3% raise, the village clerk received a 5.95% raise, the village attorney did not receive a raise and most of the department directors received a 3% raise. Altogether, the village will spend $90,500 more on salaries.
The village is expected to spend $19,400 less on part time wages and $10,800 less on training.
The village will spend $760,000 on its firefighter pensions and $760,000 on its police pensions. State law requires that all municipalities fund at least 90% of police and fire pensions by 2040.
Capital Improvement Projects
The village is spending $2.2 million on building a new salt dome to hold road salt for winter weather. According to village documents, the current salt dome has roof damage and vehicles have tipped over inside. The village received $2 million in grants for the project.
The Village Hall Plaza renovation project received $1.35 million in grants to upgrade and beautify the village hall with a better flow of traffic in the plaza and repairing or improving the steps, exterior and ramp. The village will spend $1.7 million on the project. The village hall interior will also get a redesign at an additional cost of $500,000.
In the area of flood control, the village will spend $3.9 million for Lawrencewood-Oasis Stormwater Improvements. Per village documents, five to 10 homes in the Lawrencewood Gardens will see flood reduction benefits, and this is the first phase of the larger Mulford Street and Oconto Avenue relief sewer project. The village received $2.5 million in grants for the project.
