Office of Budget & Management outlines FY2027 budget and interfund transfers; council presses fleet management issues
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Summary
OBM presented a proposed FY2027 budget of about $98.8 million, described interfund transfers including a $4.6M library subsidy and $500k for Oak Ridge, and flagged $2.6M in northeast TIF funds for IDOT’s Bissell Road; council raised longstanding concerns about fleet costs and outsourcing and OBM said a newly hired fleet manager is reviewing operations.
Ramona Metzger, director of the Office of Budget & Management, reviewed OBM's FY2027 request and major variances. Metzger said OBM's total request is about $98.8 million, with the largest single allocation in the self-insurance fund (health insurance) and notable interfund transfers including library subsidy ($4.6M), Oak Ridge Cemetery ($500k), capital fund lines and the Northeast TIF earmark for an IDOT Bissell Road project (cited $2.6M available).
Metzger highlighted decreases in equipment spending tied to prior bond-funded purchases and noted increases in personal services (largely health-insurance driven) and contractual services. She described post-go-live work after a CGI system upgrade, automation steps for ACH and vendor self-service, and a request that fleet consolidation already projected to save $3.5M per year be evaluated ongoingly.
Council discussion focused heavily on fleet maintenance costs and perceived service issues. Several councilmembers recounted examples of long repair timelines, high billed costs for outsourced work, and frustration from departments that vehicles were out of service. OBM said it has hired a new fleet manager who has begun an analysis using AssetWorks data and that results and recommendations are expected in the coming months; staff asked for a short window to complete the review and return with findings.
At the close of the workshop the council voted to recess until Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.