Shorewood board keeps 2026 levy near 2.8% and agrees on several budget items after wrap-up discussion

The Village Board of Shorewood on Tuesday reviewed remaining items from its 2026 draft budget and confirmed a levy projection of 2.81% while planning to use general fund balance to close a roughly $400,000 gap.

Village Manager Ewald told trustees that "the proposed budget... includes a projected 2.81 percent increase in tax levy and utilizes fund balance to cover the remaining gap," and emphasized that the draft stays below the 3% increase trustees asked for.

Why it matters: the board’s decisions now shape the document that will be presented for adoption in November. Board members spent the session weighing whether to cut or keep specific projects and capital replacements while ensuring the village remains above its fund-balance policy target.

The board heard staff context that, after the proposed transfers and uses, the village’s projected ending general fund balance would be about $7 million, which is roughly $2.5 million above the village’s target level (a 30% guideline built from a 25% minimum plus a 5% contingency). Trustees were told that using roughly $400,000 of fund balance to close…