Finance committee advances $108.4M FY2026 budget to council; approves ordinance allowing optional amusement tax for redevelopment projects

The O'Fallon Finance and Administration Committee on Monday voted to forward the city's FY2026 proposed balanced budget, a set of proposed code changes to permit an optional amusement tax for certain redevelopment agreements, and related items to city council.

The committee approved forwarding a $108,436,554 balanced budget to council for formal readings; staff said the figure includes interfund transfers and that the budget without interfund transfers is about $98,000,581. Committee members praised staff for a multi-department budget review and the lower total compared with the prior year; one committee member said she would support the budget while dissenting on a $50,000 allocation for a residential façade program.

Votes at a glance - FY2026 annual budget (motion to approve): forwarded to council for first reading. Roll-call in committee recorded affirmative votes by committee members present (transcript roll call recorded names and yes votes). Outcome at committee: approved to proceed to council for first reading. - Ordinance to codify an amusement tax (Finance agenda item 2.2): the committee approved forwarding an ordinance that would allow the city to include a 5% amusement tax in redevelopment agreements for specified entertainment uses where a developer requests it; the measure was forwarded to council on first reading.

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