Council adopts 2026 budgets and salary ordinance, approves large voucher and donation; one ordinance deferred
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Summary
At its Oct. 22 meeting the St John Town Council adopted the town, sanitary and water budgets and a salary ordinance on second reading (each passed 4–1), approved accounts payable and two purchase requests, accepted a donated acoustic treatment for the community center (5–0), and deferred one ordinance for missing Plan Commission minutes.
St. John — The St John Town Council on Oct. 22 adopted the town, sanitary district and water district budgets and a 2025 salary ordinance on second reading, approved vendor payments and purchase requests, accepted a donated acoustic-treatment package for the community center and deferred a separate ordinance pending missing Planning Commission minutes.
The council voted 4–1 to adopt Ordinance 18-74a (town budget), Ordinance 18-74b (sanitary district budget) and Ordinance 18-74c (water district budget) on second reading. The council also approved Ordinance 1-8-7-6, the 2025 salary ordinance, on second reading by the same 4–1 margin. Council members recorded their votes by roll call during the meeting.
Council approved two requests to purchase (RTP): $5,532.70 for two industrial storage racks for public works and $4,000 for the Griffith Police Department’s 2026 SWAT agreement. The RTPs carried unanimously. The council also approved an accounts-payable voucher dated Oct. 22, 2025, representing payments for payroll, supplies, services and equipment for a combined total of $1,061,034.60 (motion carried 5–0).
Separately, the council accepted a donation of acoustic treatments for the new St. John Community Center from local residents and vendors. Donors presented a contractor estimate of just over $11,000; the council voted 5–0 to accept the donation and to designate the town manager (and optionally staff member Gabe) as points of contact for coordinating the work.
The council deferred one ordinance because minutes from the Planning Commission were missing and additional information introduced at the meeting required further review; the deferral carried 5–0.
Why it matters: Adopting the operating budgets and salary ordinance sets the town’s revenue and spending plans and staff pay for 2026. Approving the accounts-payable voucher authorizes current payments that fund town operations. Accepting the donated acoustic work could affect use and bookings at the new community center.
Votes at a glance: - Ordinance 18-74a (town budget), second reading: approved, vote 4–1. - Ordinance 18-74b (sanitary district budget), second reading: approved, vote 4–1. - Ordinance 18-74c (water district budget), second reading: approved, vote 4–1. - Ordinance 1-8-7-6 (2025 salary ordinance), second reading: approved, vote 4–1. - Accounts payable voucher (dated 10/22/2025), $1,061,034.60: approved, vote 5–0. - RTP — industrial storage racks, $5,532.70: approved, vote 5–0. - RTP — Griffith Police Department SWAT agreement, $4,000: approved, vote 5–0. - Donation: acoustic treatment for St. John Community Center, ~ $11,000 estimate: accepted, vote 5–0; town manager/Gabe named points of contact. - Ordinance deferred pending Planning Commission minutes: deferred, vote 5–0.
Council and staff said the operating budgets are balanced; capital projects funded from reserves were noted as not balanced because they are being financed from saved cash for capital work. Clerk Treasurer Beth Hernandez and the town manager participated in budget presentations and answered questions on salary allocations across funds.
No new tax rate changes or specific capital-project authorizations beyond what appears in the adopted ordinances were taken at this meeting.
