Tinley Park holds public hearing on fiscal 2026 budget amid questions on Harmony Square, staffing and land buys

Tinley Park opened a public hearing May 1 on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, during which a resident raised questions about Harmony Square facilities, staffing increases and bond borrowing while finance staff outlined a roughly $3.9 million shortfall in the general fund and described planned capital and personnel requests.

At the hearing, Diane Galanti, a Tinley Park resident, said she was worried that public dollars were being used for an ice rink and broader Harmony Square costs and that long-term maintenance and pension obligations were underexplained. “My biggest concern is putting the ice rink back into this entire project,” Galanti said, adding later, “There’s $2,500,000 here in the manager’s office for land acquisitions. Like, what is that for now?”

Finance staff member Hannah (first name only in the record) told the board the village is facing a short-term gap in the general fund. “Our general fund is showing at about 3,900,000.0 in red,” Hannah said, and said staff had already reduced more than $1 million and planned further cuts before final adoption scheduled for May 29. She said the village intends to draw on reserve…