SIU trustees approve FY26 operating budget, salary plan, bond and multi‑year contract extensions

Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees committee members approved the system's proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget and a slate of related financial and personnel measures at meetings held before the full board convened Oct. 25.

The finance committee voted to recommend the operating budget to the full board. President Dan Mahoney and university finance staff told trustees the proposal reflects recent discussions on enrollment and state support; trustees approved the item on a committee roll call. "We recommend approval," Mahoney said during the finance committee discussion.

Why it matters: the operating budget guides campus spending next year and was considered together with personnel and capital requests that affect pay, insurance and campus projects. Committee approvals advance the items to the board omnibus motion that carried the measures into effect for the system.

Most important committee actions

- The finance committee approved the fiscal year 2026 operating budget on a roll call that recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- The committee approved the appointment of Justin Oates as SIU system vice president for financial and administrative affairs and board treasurer; the committee roll call recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- Trustees approved a $5,000,000 public official bond for the board treasurer, per the Southern Illinois University Management Act; committee roll call recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- The salary increase plan for FY26 was approved by the finance committee. The plan presented and approved in committee included a 1% increase for certain university employees and a 2.5% increase for civil service employees, as explained by vice president Justin Oates. Committee roll call recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- The Resource Allocation and Management Program (RAMP) operations and capital requests for FY27 were approved jointly by the finance committee and the architectural and design committee. Finance committee roll call: Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes. Architecture & Design committee roll call: Simmons: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Curtis: yes.

- The finance committee approved a commercial lease for approximately 25,000 square feet at the Jackie Joyner‑Kersee Foundation Center in East St. Louis to house one SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program. The agenda packet listed the lease as a 10‑year agreement with a total cost indicated at $2,700,000 and said the funding source is the federal grant that supports Head Start operations. Committee roll call recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- The committee approved a request to sublease excess broadband capacity from station WLX262; an outside law firm estimated the value in a broad range of about $1 million to $1.5 million. Committee roll call recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

- The finance committee approved four‑year extensions of the employment agreements for Chancellor Lane (SIU Carbondale), Chancellor Minor (SIUE) and President Mahoney (SIU system); each extension was approved on committee roll calls that recorded Curtis: yes; Barnett: yes; Connelly: yes; Williams: yes.

What trustees said and asked

President Mahoney briefly reviewed the budget and fielded questions at the committee. "We presented the proposed budget as well as how it compares and changes from last year," he told the committee. Vice President Justin Oates summarized the salary package and noted that salaries are the largest part of expense budgets, and that the plan presented included measures to address compression on one campus.

Oates: "Salaries are ... 55% of your expense budget, and we're presenting 1% for [some employees] and 2.5% for the civil service employees."

Board process and next steps

Most committee items were included in the board's omnibus motion and carried on a full‑board roll call later in the meeting. The board takes formal action on committee recommendations at full meetings; trustees declared the omnibus motion approved at the Oct. 25 full board session.

Votes at a glance

- FY26 operating budget — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Appointment: system vice president for financial & administrative affairs (Justin Oates) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Public official bond, treasurer — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Salary increase plan FY26 (1% / 2.5% civil service) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - RAMP operations & capital request FY27 — approved by finance committee and Architecture & Design committee (finance: Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes; A&D: Simmons/Barnett/Connelly/Curtis: yes). - SIUE Head Start lease (approx. 25,000 sq ft; total cost listed $2,700,000; federal grant funded) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Excess broadband sublease from WLX262 (value estimate $1M–$1.5M) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Extension of Chancellor Lane's employment agreement (4 years, maximum allowable under state law) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Extension of Chancellor Minor's employment agreement (4 years) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes). - Extension of President Mahoney's employment agreement (4 years) — approved by finance committee (Curtis/Barnett/Connelly/Williams: yes).

Clarifying details

- Public official bond recommended amount: $5,000,000 (presented as required by the Southern Illinois University Management Act). - SIUE building lease described in the committee packet as 10 years, approximately 25,000 square feet, total cost stated as $2,700,000; funding source listed as the federal Head Start grant. - Outside legal estimate of excess broadband value: stated in the packet as approximately $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. - Salary increases presented in committee: 1% for some university employees and 2.5% for civil service employees; campus compression adjustments from a CBIZ compensation study were included for some staff.

Speakers (selected)

- Daniel Mahoney, President, Southern Illinois University (spoke to the budget and extensions). - Justin Oates, Vice President for Financial & Administrative Affairs (presented salary and RAMP details). - Chair/Committee members present during votes: Trustee Curtis (chair, finance committee); Trustee Barnett; Trustee Connelly; Trustee Williams; Trustee Simmons (Architecture & Design committee).

Authorities cited

- Southern Illinois University Management Act (referenced by university staff in relation to the treasurer bond requirement). - CBIZ compensation study (referenced by university staff as the basis for some compression adjustments).

Provenance

transcript_segments: [{"block_id":"s=3666.2349-e=3680.015","local_start":0,"local_end":96,"evidence_excerpt":"The first item on the agenda is the approval of the fiscal year 20 26 operating budget. President Mahoney, will you speak to this item? Yes. Yesterday, we presented at the board meeting a review of the proposed budget as well as how it compares and and changes from last year. We answered questions at that time, but happy to answer any additional questions, but we recommend approval."},{"block_id":"s=4497.7803-e=4507.875","local_start":0,"local_end":94,"evidence_excerpt":"So I recommend, to the finance committee of the contract extension for president Mahoning.

Thank you, mister chair. Any discussion? Hearing none, is there a motion by the for the finance committee to approve said motion? So moved. Second."}]

searchable_tags:["budget","pay","contracts","RAMP","HeadStart","broadband","bond","executive_contracts","SIU","finance_committee"],"sections":{"lede":"The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees finance committee approved the system's fiscal 2026 operating budget and a set of related measures including a $5 million bond for the treasurer, a modest salary package and four‑year extensions of top executives' contracts.","nut_graf":"Trustees said the approvals stabilize operations for the coming year and pair the budget with targeted pay adjustments and capital requests; several items were advanced to the board's omnibus motion and carried at the full‑board session.","ending":"The items approved by the finance and architecture committees will appear on the board's omnibus motion; the trustees scheduled the next regular meeting for Dec. 4 at SIU Carbondale."}},{