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Highland Park council approves 2025–26 budget after last-minute amendment and heated debate
Summary
After hours of review and public comment, the Highland Park City Council voted to approve the city's fiscal 2025'26 budget on May 19, 2025. The vote followed a contentious exchange over a package of amendments delivered the same day, a later attempt to rescind a councilmember's vote and a final roll call approving the mayor's proposed budget.
Highland Park's City Council voted to adopt the fiscal 2025'26 budget on May 19, 2025, following a string of motions, a rescission attempt and extended debate over an amendment packet provided to councilmembers the same day.
The vote approves the budget for the period July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, as presented to the council and after members traded multiple motions on the council floor.
The action mattered to speakers and residents because the budget determines operating dollars for courts, public safety, public works and other core services. Councilmembers and community speakers pressed officials for explanations about line-item increases, contractual services entries and where certain funds had been allocated or withheld.
Council Pro Tem Tim Robinson, who introduced an amendment packet during the meeting and who said he worked with the treasurer on the document, told the council the group had cut “close to about about $3,000,000 out of the budget.” Mayor Brenda McDonald and other council members disputed parts of the packet and raised repeated requests for department-level explanations.
Multiple councilmembers said they had not received timely answers to questions from the administration despite previous workshop presentations and audit briefings. Council members pressed for clearer breakdowns of categories labeled “contractual services” and asked for a personnel/salary key to accompany the mayor's submission; some members also proposed a forensic audit line item to let council commission an independent review if administration would not.
Public commenters and councilmembers raised several specific concerns that surfaced during the meeting: one councilmember said the municipal court's proposed salary and operating figures appeared to put the court at a structural shortfall; a councilmember reported $1,600 missing from a district advisory account (CDAC); and several councilmembers said they lacked adequate time or documentation to vet the new amendment packet that circulated that day.
The meeting record shows the council first voted on a motion to approve the budget with the amendments supplied that day (motion moved by Councilman Al Shafi, seconded by Pro Tem Tim Robinson). A roll call taken immediately after that motion (see provenance) recorded the following votes: Councilman Ashanti ' Yes; Councilwoman Martin ' Yes; Councilwoman Nanica ' No; Councilwoman Robinson ' Yes; Council President Khan ' No. The clerk announced the motion carried.
Later in the meeting Councilwoman Martin moved to rescind her earlier vote on the amended budget. That rescission motion was seconded and the council voted to accept the rescission (procedural roll call recorded in the transcript). Following the rescission, Councilwoman Martin moved and Councilwoman Manuka seconded a motion to approve the mayor's originally presented budget (without the day'of amendments). The final roll call on that motion recorded: Councilman Ashanti ' Yes; Councilwoman Martin ' Yes; Councilwoman Manuka ' Yes; Councilwoman Robinson ' No; Council President Khan ' Yes. The clerk announced: "Motion carries." The council then recessed to subsequent agenda items.
Treasurer Lisa Stolarski and Pro Tem Robinson said in the meeting they assisted with the day'of amendment packet; several council members objected that the packet was delivered without time for review and that clerks and some staff did not have printed copies when the motion was made. Members agreed to schedule additional review and proposed a special meeting or workshop to revisit questions raised about line items and contractual services.
The council did not adopt further immediate operational directions in the meeting beyond approving the overall budget; councilmembers said they would continue pursuing department-level explanations and recommended targeted audits where needed.
The budget approval finishes the council's formal adoption for the 2025'26 fiscal year but leaves open follow-up work by council committees, the treasurer and department directors to provide requested clarifications and to implement any changes the council may adopt in future amendments.
