Evanston council adopts $37.57 million fiscal 2025-26 budget after public hearing

The Evanston City Council on June 17 approved a proposed budget of $37,571,855 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, following a public hearing and presentation by City Treasurer Trudy Lim.

Lim told the council the budget is organized into five main funds — general, water, wastewater, environmental services and golf — plus special funds including cemetery, lodging tax and economic development. She said sales tax, the largest general-fund revenue source, has been unpredictable over the past year and the city is taking a conservative approach to forecasting. Lim said enterprise funds (water, wastewater and environmental services) are funded through user fees and that there are no planned fee increases for those funds in FY2025-26. The golf fund reflects fee increases implemented earlier in the season.

The budget includes a number of capital projects continuing from the prior year, Lim said, including a city master plan update, repairs to the recreation center roof and the roundhouse roof, elevator upgrades at the police department and recreation center, vehicle and equipment acquisitions, construction of the Twin Ridge water transmission line, the Grass Valley lift station, and other water and wastewater upgrades and maintenance. New projects listed as dependent on revenue availability include sidewalk improvements near Aspen Elementary, a downtown sound system upgrade, machine shop floor refinishing and HVAC work, Bear River Bridal repairs, overlays of the ponds access road and cemetery roads, E Hill water tank roofing and golf course tee-box renovations and a new range ball dispenser.

Lim said personnel costs are a major budget component and that health insurance premiums rose about 3% this year. She summarized the total proposed budget as $37,571,855, about a 3% decrease from the prior year, and thanked department heads and council members for their input.

During the public hearing residents raised questions and comments. Shelly Horner asked where budget details were published; staff replied the budget is posted on the city website after approval and that previous budget discussions had been held at earlier meetings. Horner also asked whether funding for footings related to moving the Wasatch water tank was included; staff said the footings were not currently in the capital budget and that any such work would likely require a separate budget amendment or other funding action. Mike Slaughter praised the council for maintaining community grants and a $100,000 allocation to the county senior citizens program.

Council members and the mayor commended staff for the budget work and noted the budget represents a list of priorities the city would fund if revenues allow. Following discussion, the council introduced and seconded Resolution 25-25 providing necessary appropriations for FY2025-26; the council voted in favor by voice and the resolution was approved.

The council closed the hearing and moved on to other agenda items.