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Kankakee budget committee reviews FY2025–26 proposal; schedules two public hearings
Summary
Comptroller Rogers presented a draft FY2025–26 budget that redistributes property-tax dollars after a bond sale, corrects a franchise-fee accounting error, and projects stable sales-tax revenue; the committee set two public hearings and continued review rather than adopting a final budget.
KANKAKEE, Ill. — The Kankakee City Budget Committee on Tuesday reviewed a draft fiscal 2025–26 budget that reflects accounting adjustments after a recent bond transaction and several line-item changes, but did not adopt a final budget.
Comptroller Rogers told the committee the draft is “very similar to what we presented last time, but there has been changes,” and said the administration is aiming for a balanced budget while prioritizing capital self-funding. "As always, we are shooting for a balanced budget," Rogers said.
The committee discussed three substantive accounting changes highlighted by Rogers. First, a historical $100,000 shortfall in cable/franchise-fee revenue was traced to Aqua Illinois franchise payments recorded in the wrong account; Rogers said the item was corrected and the account was reduced to zero. Second, ambulance fee revenue was revised slightly upward. Third, police and fire pension property-tax lines decreased after the city sold a tranche of bonds (POB), which city staff said allowed pension-related dollars to be reallocated to other levy categories such as liability insurance and operating costs.
Committee members and staff spent considerable time explaining that the shifts largely represent internal redistribution rather than additional tax revenue. One participant summarized the effect as “a total wash” when certain levy lines are combined, noting the changes moved existing dollars between categories rather than increasing the overall levy.
Rogers reviewed sales-tax figures and accrual adjustments: an additional month of receipts was accrued for the prior year, increasing collections to about $6.312 million, and the draft budget conservatively projects sales-tax revenue near last year’s totals. The draft also shows the administration setting the budgeted sales-tax figure at roughly $6.03 million to remain cautious.
Staff and committee members discussed personnel and salary assumptions. The draft includes funding to annualize positions hired part of last year and three potential new hires: one in the comptroller’s office (to assist with operations and grant work), one in the Office of Violence Prevention, and another in planning or a related department. The draft also anticipates retroactive and ongoing pay adjustments tied to unsettled labor contracts, particularly for the fire department; Chief LaRoche and staff prepared spreadsheets to model retroactivity and full-year costs.
On timing and process, committee members agreed to hold two public hearings on the budget — discussed dates were July 14 and July 21 — and to publish notice in the newspaper as required. The committee did not vote to adopt the budget; Rogers emphasized the capital self-funding line will be adjusted as revenues and expenditures are finalized.
The committee approved the minutes from the May meeting and subsequently adjourned. Further monthly reviews and the scheduled public hearings will precede any final council action on the FY2025–26 budget.
