West Chicago council adopts $68.97 million FY2026 budget, approves business support specialist

City of West Chicago staff presented a proposed fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $68,965,106, and the City Council approved the budget and related consent items after a public hearing Tuesday.

Tia Messino, introduced to the council to present the plan, said the FY2026 budget is “about a 20% increase over fiscal year 2025,” driven primarily by capital projects including street reconstruction, Washington Street remediation and downtown revitalization. Messino said the general fund increases by 2.01% and the city will pursue a standard 4.9% property-tax levy increase “consistent with our multiyear practice” to help offset rising police pension obligations.

“The fiscal year 2026 budget totals $68,965,106, and that is about a 20% increase over fiscal year 2025,” Messino said. She told the council staff expects a structural gap of approximately $1,260,000 in future years, attributable largely to the grocery tax elimination and declining red-light enforcement revenue, and said the budget continues investments in IT services and a leadership coaching program.

Council members asked staff about rising legal fees tied to ongoing litigation and whether those expenses were being fully accounted for. One council member noted legal costs that had spiked in 2025; staff replied the city typically leans on historical spending lines, that several cases are winding down, and that the city maintains an administrator’s special projects fund to cover unexpected contracted services.

On the consent agenda the council recorded ordinances related to the budget: ordinance no. 25-000053 (adopting the annual FY2026 budget), ordinance no. 25-000054 (levying taxes for FY2026) and ordinance no. 25-000050 (levy and assessment for Special Services Area No. 2). The council also approved a business support specialist job description for a position already included in the proposed budget; staff said the role will focus on helping new businesses navigate city processes within their first 30 days.

Separately, the council approved a corporate disbursement report in the amount of $565,881.81 by roll call vote; the presiding official declared the motion passed.

Before the budget hearing, the council heard a public comment from an attorney representing a local subcontractor. Attorney Jack Cozart told the council he represents Mary Young and MBE Fencing and said Integral Construction owes Young $21,400 for fencing work. Cozart asked the council to consider, during upcoming executive-session litigation discussions with Integral Construction, whether the city could find a way to make Mary Young whole without requiring her to file a separate claim.

“We are here hat in hand just to ask the city council the next time you go into executive session to discuss the lawsuit with Integral Construction, if there is a way to carve out the $21,400 that is owed to Mary through Integral, we would ask that we try to achieve a way to do that,” Cozart said.

The council thanked the public speakers and staff, closed the public hearing on the budget and moved through remaining items, including committee reports and event announcements. The meeting concluded after the council listed upcoming committee meetings and approved a motion to adjourn.

The ordinances adopting the budget and levying taxes were placed on the consent agenda and approved by the council; the budget is effective for the fiscal year commencing Jan. 1, 2026, and ending Dec. 31, 2026, per the ordinance language read into the record.