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Carbondale council adopts $80.1 million FY2026 budget, approves CIP and separate nonprofit funding votes
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Summary
The Carbondale City Council on April 22 approved the city’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget and pay plan and adopted a five‑year capital improvement program, while voting separately on three nonprofit funding items that had been pulled from the main motion.
The Carbondale City Council on April 22 approved the city’s fiscal year 2026 operating budget and pay plan and adopted a five‑year capital improvement program (CIP), while voting separately on three nonprofit funding items that had been pulled from the consent motion.
Council approved an ordinance adopting the City of Carbondale and Carbondale Public Library annual operating budget in the amount of $80,106,999 for fiscal year 2026 (May 1, 2025–April 30, 2026) and an ordinance adopting a pay plan for non‑bargaining employees. City staff reported the proposed general fund expenditures exceed revenues by $280,492; those excess expenditures were noted to be planned to come from restricted fund balances. The required public hearing had been held on April 8.
Councilmember Doherty moved to approve the budget; Councilmember Hill seconded. Councilmember Lowes asked that three nonprofit funding items be separated for individual votes — funding for Little Resource Center, Women for Change and Carbondale United — which the mover accepted as a friendly amendment. The council then voted on the budget (minus the three nonprofits) by roll call; all members voting in that roll call recorded affirmative votes and the motion passed.
Afterward the council voted on the three nonprofit items separately. The council approved funding for the Little Resource Center as contained in the proposed budget; Councilmember Lowes recused himself from that vote because the organization is partially run by his wife. The vote passed with affirmative votes from Councilmembers Doherty, Hill, Kilman, Maxwell and Mayor Harvey.
Funding for Women for Change was approved in a separate motion; the roll call recorded a single no vote from Councilmember Lowes and yes votes from other members, and the motion passed. The council then approved funding for Carbondale United; Councilmember Maxwell stated she could not vote on that item because she works for Carbondale United. The roll call on that item recorded Councilmember Lowes as a no, Councilmember Maxwell as unable to vote, and the remaining members voting yes; the motion passed.
Council also adopted a resolution approving the five‑year community investment program for fiscal years 2026–2030 in the amount of $49,638,671. Councilmember Doherty moved the CIP; Councilmember Hill seconded; the motion carried on a roll call vote with all present members voting yes.
Consent agenda items were approved earlier in the meeting and included, among other things, a warrant for period ending April 11, 2025, in the amount of $1,296,938.53 and an engineering agreement with TWM of Suwanee, Illinois in the amount of $177,395 for design of the Oak Street rehabilitation project.
Ending The council approved the operating budget, the employee pay plan and the CIP and completed separate votes on three nonprofit allocations. Staff indicated the slight general fund shortfall will be covered from restricted balances; staff follow‑up will be required to execute CIP projects and finalize nonprofit funding details as identified in the budget package.
