Berwyn committee reviews police 2026 budget; staffing held at 118 amid health-insurance uncertainty

The Berwyn Budget Finance Committee met to review the police department's proposed 2026 budget, focusing on revenue changes, modest shifts in expenditures and several capital needs that remain unfunded or contingent.

Commanders from the police department presented the budget and said reimbursements for three officers assigned to Moore High School and increasing grant revenue helped the department's revenue outlook. The department also listed a roughly $850,000 technology and body-camera line and said it expects to pursue a recruitment and retention grant (described in the meeting as nearly $200,000).

Why it matters: department leaders told the committee they are trying to 'do more with less' by reallocating existing funds, reducing some programmatic costs and avoiding requests for additional full-time positions while preserving key technology and safety programs.

Key budget items and decisions - Staffing: The department described an earlier 'anticipatory hiring' approach that allowed hiring up to five extra officers when attrition was expected. For the 2026 budget the department set a target of 118 sworn officers (down from the prior budgeted 121). A recent hire brought the headcount to the 118 level cited in the presentation.

- Salaries and benefits: Presenters said there is a contractual 3% across-the-board salary increase for represented staff (dispatchers and officers). Health-insurance costs were flagged repeatedly as the largest uncertainty; department staff projected an approximate 21% medical-cost increase in current assumptions and told the committee they hope actual premiums come in lower.

- Overtime and line-item adjustments: The department did not increase the total overtime budget but reallocated overtime line items across units to reflect actual usage.

- Tuition reimbursement and training: Tuition reimbursement was described as reduced from '48' in the 2025 figures to '21.04' for 2026 (the transcript did not specify currency units). The department said it will continue significant investment in training and will run an auxiliary class next year as many auxiliaries have moved to full-time positions.

- Social-worker services: The department currently contracts two full-time social workers; presenters proposed reducing that contract to one full-time contractor while supplementing weekly visits from other partners and arranging Rincon Family Services to provide a social worker one or two days per week to maintain services for officers and the public.

- Capital projects: An HVAC replacement project is under procurement with installation expected in six to eight weeks. The department said two main boilers will likely require replacement and that the capital needed may be roughly double the current allocation; staff said they hope to use reimbursements (including prior Wharton SRO reimbursements) to fund some work. The department also expects a $200,000 grant tied to Senator Cervantes for upgrades to the police range, described as likely available in the spring.

- Vehicles and fleet: Vehicle replacement remains part of capital planning; the department said purchases will be scheduled as part of the five- and ten-year capital plan and may be deferred depending on other capital priorities.

- Communications/"verbal calls": A $21,000 expense for nonemergency verbal/city-message calls was submitted to the ETSB board; presenters reported the ETSB agreed to take on that cost but noted additional technical work is needed to separate emergency and nonemergency messaging lists.

Questions and committee emphasis Committee members pressed on health-insurance projections, specifics of the benefits-line increases and sequencing of capital work (vehicles vs. boilers vs. HVAC). The department replied that some benefit increases reflect reclassification between 'officer' and 'specialty' categories and a change in roster composition (more family plans). Members also asked about tuition and auxiliary pay; department staff said any adjustments would be managed within the existing auxiliary budget.

Outcome and next steps No formal budget vote took place at this meeting. Committee members recorded general acceptance of the department's approach pending updated health-insurance figures and final capital prioritization. The meeting adjourned after a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. The committee scheduled its next meeting for Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. (public works and IT on the agenda).