[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6169871,"mediaKeyId","5401880-64f4471199bc8ff5c6f739dac3f04007","parentId",5401880,"title","Kankakee opens public hearing on $38.79M fiscal budget; committee flags ambulance revenue, neighborhood-stabilization and animal-control placeholder","audioSeconds",3590,"startMs",2006000,"endMs",5596000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5401880-64f4471199bc8ff5c6f739dac3f04007&start=2006&end=5596","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5401880-64f4471199bc8ff5c6f739dac3f04007/thumbnail_2006000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6169871/Kankakee-City/Kankakee-County/Illinois/Kankakee-opens-public-hearing-on-3879M-fiscal-budget-committee-flags-ambulance-revenue-neighborhood-stabilization-and-animal-control-placeholder","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169871-ea5fb2493da604bcc4ceeaf43e35f2c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775955010&Signature=FbWY6FO~h3MThesKYwN2MOQagoHPQfJy78yUp0z0ODEWwiDCnaNFRnTlyy7qQEDE3slYdGqpQXKRBoERRH0HOqv8FtIOIhPCUolhPl3TlzLl6mkCt02SPx6xtbaOf5uwOiaKoqmRANbvq91o2sXutIZdFkeXVHeY41wqoQUGKz580LDLBnfFaF2Ozoo-QTpJjgeIQZr5aPP7XbSgJOF4g0-sYvXQdWq99eGr7eYAi3-MEisT9-QgPWYVspX3yvEZC-gUlLEfmObR57NvOffMCUqA5YTzlEVfTEwvn9-vtcTf~rfWOOrA70gFdHLTOh90FZXg1ME7p02Wktwi6ym1~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Kankakee, IL","date","2025-07-15T12:15:07Z","article","KANKAKEE, Ill. — The City of Kankakee budget committee opened a public hearing July on the proposed fiscal 2024–25 budget and then reviewed department-level revenue and expense projections, a proposed $38,793,003 revenue plan and $38,006,362 in expenses that produce a projected surplus of about $114,641.
Comptroller Paula Rogers and City Manager Elizabeth walked the committee through the revenue assumptions and departmental expense lines. The city’s budget team described conservative revenue assumptions for items that have historically fluctuated — notably corporate replacement taxes and state income tax receipts — while projecting increased ambulance revenue and higher interest income on city cash balances.
Key items discussed
- Ambulance revenue: The budget assumes higher ambulance fee revenues. Chief LaRoche told the committee the department is “trending up” on run volume and said, “we’ve brought in 4.4 already this year,” a figure staff said exceeds the budgeted amount and supports a $400,000 fee-line increase (the city’s FY25 ambulance actuals were higher than the proposed budget). The department indicated plans to add a third ambulance in the coming months to cover rising call volume.
- Neighborhood stabilization and demolition: Staff proposed reviving a neighborhood stabilization program. The draft budget keeps $50,000 for initial staffing contingency (reduced from a $100,000 placeholder) and includes a $100,000 demo line to allow the city to remove blighted structures when grants or ECDA funds are not available. The mayor described a $25,000 owner-occupied property-improvement incentive program (up to $500 per household) to encourage facade and minor repairs; staff said $25,000 would cover roughly 50 homes.
- Animal-control placeholder: The city manager said a $35,000 placeholder for an animal-control contract was included so the council can decide whether to contract animal-control services; the manager said the contract would relieve police and code officers of many animal calls but would not cover wildlife removal in private yards unless the animal was sick or dangerous.
- Convention-center renovation: Committee members asked where convention-center renovation funding would come from; staff said TIF 8 would be the source.
Comptroller Rogers emphasized that some grant revenues listed are recurring grants (for example, certain police grants) but are not guaranteed until awarded; staff said they budgeted conservatively and that if a grant does not materialize the $230,000 grants total is manageable within the overall fund.
Other budget notes: staff increased projected interest income because the city’s money-market balances have earned more interest; liability and health-insurance costs increased; citywide capital funding from internal sources was reduced and the budget keeps a conservative $200,000 capital allocation. The manager said the city prefers conservative revenue budgeting and expects departments to continue controlling expenditures.
Public hearing and next steps: the committee opened and closed the public hearing (no public speakers) and will continue budget deliberations; the budget will be forwarded to the council for final consideration under the city’s normal ordinance process.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Kankakee - Budget Committee Livestream","oneSentenceSummary","At the July meeting the budget committee opened and closed a public hearing on the FY 2024–25 budget, reviewed a $38.79 million spending plan with a projected $114,641 surplus, and discussed revenue assumptions and program line items including ambulance fees, a neighborhood stabilization pilot and a proposed animal-control contract.","taxTitle","Kankakee City, Kankakee County, Illinois","taxId",4543,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6169874,"Budget committee recommends GO and sewer bond plan to fund roads, riverwalk and sewer work",1807,183000,1990000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5401880-64f4471199bc8ff5c6f739dac3f04007&start=183&end=1990","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5401880-64f4471199bc8ff5c6f739dac3f04007/thumbnail_183000.jpg","/articles/6169874/Kankakee-City/Kankakee-County/Illinois/Budget-committee-recommends-GO-and-sewer-bond-plan-to-fund-roads-riverwalk-and-sewer-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6169874-2e9abdb2e930bee9aaaac5992672e19f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775955010&Signature=FjLG9fPV2-9Tylu~jzfebcpi-rmMnVI3Vaj~CZPiSgYYRWgbVKeiIRG5q~DMyu4sOWVemPBJb1S3OBL0OWHvvW504sD9pu6lPZgy8NMDSoO3hIuY8dJtTKVal3f9UKJNAiBFH-~x1m0miJWO-CYaXTRjhRqsEbZ6KW5I9HAeQ10FmJtSFKO4cmNORMbk2BMXHH6Uiu5V2TC8ncaNUWJ9YoVCZRqcVi~7pSujvjmMn42mqiIZV~W3M0oEXR1B3v6aoBLbm5y287AJTiXCfzeDJGSw2B9XKOEmjzzdxIyqdEFHJQv9oWVpg2v-km6yayQcJXB6zcquU5lTda-4fKBAOg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","KANKAKEE, Ill. — The City of Kankakee budget committee voted July to recommend that the City Council proceed with a general-obligation bond issue and a sewer revenue bond to fund several capital projects, including major road repairs, Bookman Boulevard reconstruction and sewer infiltration-and-inflow work.
The committee’s recommendation follows a presentation from Bob Vail of Bernardi Securities laying out market conditions, a list of near-term capital projects and a proposed debt structure the city says will maintain its current tax-rate trajectory.
The committee’s vote: Motion to recommend proceeding with the bond issuance was made by Alderman De Vara and seconded by Alderman Jones; the committee recorded aye votes from Aldermen O’Brien, O’Singa, Marzak, Navaraz, Michael Johnson and Jones.
The presentation outlined two linked financing components. Vail described a proposed general-obligation issue intended to generate roughly $9 million for city capital needs and a separate sewer-related revenue bond sized at about $4 million. Vail told the committee that, under the structure presented, “we’re basically at the exact same tax rate we are currently,” and that preliminary pricing (if bonds were sold at current market levels) would result in interest-rate assumptions near 4.69% for the GO issue and about 4.33% for the sewer issue.
Mayor and city staff summarized the capital list the financing would support, including a proposed $4.5 million concentrated road project in 2026 using Motor Fuel Tax and borrowed funds; engineering and reconstruction of Bookman Boulevard (estimated near $800,000); planning and engineering for Curtis Avenue to position it for MPO funding; riverfront-trail and Riverwalk engineering and future phases; West Avenue schematic design to chase grants; hydro plant completion; and ongoing sewer I&I (infiltration and inflow) basin work. The mayor said the total projects identified on the list came to about $9,450,000.
Vail also recommended refinancing an outstanding 2013 sewer bond that is currently callable, estimating a refinancing savings of roughly $108,000 at current rates (about a 2.6% present-value savings), while noting the savings are market-sensitive: a 25-basis-point move would materially change that figure.
Timeline and next steps presented to the committee call for: first-reading of bond ordinances at the Aug. 4 City Council meeting, final reading/adoption Aug. 18, bond pricing targeted around Sept. 11 and closing around Sept. 24. Vail told the committee that seasonal market dynamics make early- to mid-September a favorable window for municipal issues because more competitive demand often exists before the year-end rush in municipal supply.
Discussion versus action: staff and the committee discussed projects, repayment sources (including use of some ESU/sewer revenues and expectation of continued Motor Fuel Tax receipts), and alternatives. The formal committee action was a recommendation to the full council to proceed with the bond issuances as described.
The committee did not set final interest rates or authorize sale; those terms will be set at pricing and by subsequent council ordinance approvals.
","The City of Kankakee budget committee recommended the council proceed with a general-obligation bond and a sewer revenue bond to pay for an estimated $9.45 million in capital needs, with the financing structured to avoid raising the tax rate.","actionData","errors"]

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Kankakee opens public hearing on $38.79M fiscal budget; committee flags ambulance revenue, neighborhood-stabilization and animal-control placeholder

Budget committee recommends GO and sewer bond plan to fund roads, riverwalk and sewer work