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Village of Saint Charles adopts 2026–27 budget, sets combined 15-mill levy
Summary
The Village of Saint Charles council adopted the 2026–27 fiscal year budget and General Appropriations Act (Resolution 26-4), setting a 12.8029 mill operating levy and a 2.1971 mill street fund levy for a total of 15 mills; the package funds water and sewer projects, sidewalks and a 3% staff pay increase.
The Village of Saint Charles council voted to adopt the fiscal year 2026–27 budget and General Appropriations Act (Resolution 26-4), approving a combined levy of 15 mills composed of a 12.8029 mill village operating levy and a 2.1971 mill village street fund levy. The adoption was completed by roll call and approved by the members present.
Village staff described the budget as continuing priorities on infrastructure and fiscal responsibility. A staff speaker (S4) said the plan targets water and sewer work, sidewalk projects and paying down long-term liabilities: “This continues our main goals of paying down our long term debts, our pension obligations, our OPEB obligations,” and noted the budget includes a congressional appropriation in the queue to support water construction.
The budget document and council discussion singled out water infrastructure work — including replacement of lead and galvanized service lines — and cited a congressional appropriation (identified in the meeting as $1,000,000, attributed by staff to Congressman Dan Kildee) to support roughly $3.1 million in water-upgrade work. Staff also outlined investments in downtown improvements through the Downtown Development Authority's facade and sidewalk programs and identified funding to maintain current police coverage.
The fiscal plan includes a 3% pay increase for employees (explicitly excluding the speaker who described the proposal), continued employer-paid health care (noted to have risen about 16%), and steps intended to reduce long-term pension and OPEB liabilities. During the discussion staff noted statewide trends that reduced constitutional revenue sharing and downward pressure on property tax distributions, which informed budgeting assumptions.
Council member S1 moved to adopt the General Appropriations Act and the motion passed by roll call with the members present voting in favor and several members absent (recorded during roll call). The document was attached to the permanent record by reference at the meeting.
Next steps: the adopted budget and appropriations act were entered into the record and will be implemented for the 2026' 2027 fiscal year; staff said specific capital projects will move to design and bidding phases according to the capital plan schedule.
