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Brookfield reviews draft 2026 budget, eyes lead-line work and road projects
Summary
Finance Director Doug Cooper presented the village’s draft 2026 budget, which projects general-fund revenues of about $25 million, expenditures near $24 million, and a modest net change to fund balance; the board scheduled final adoption for Dec. 8.
Brookfield’s finance director on Monday outlined a draft 2026 budget that funds planned infrastructure and personnel while narrowing the village’s general-fund surplus.
Doug Cooper told trustees the village expects to finish 2025 with a general-fund surplus of $341,645 but projected a draft 2026 net change to fund balance of about $103,000 under conservative revenue assumptions. The draft budget shows roughly $25 million in general-fund revenue versus about $24 million in expenditures prior to transfers.
Major items in the 2026 plan include a multi-year lead-service-line replacement program Cooper estimated at about $24 million over several years, a $2-million-plus local road program (including a $600,000 transfer from the general fund and an anticipated $800,000 from water/sewer revenues), and work on Creekside Park tied to an OSLAD grant. Cooper also outlined capital needs such as phased radio replacements for police, vehicle leases and information-technology upgrades.
Cooper said personnel costs remain the budget’s largest driver—roughly three quarters of village costs—including a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for nonbargaining staff and increased pension contributions that raised the pension line by several hundred thousand dollars. Cooper noted several planned positions in the budget package, including an assistant public-works director and a utility-maintenance worker; hiring timing may be staggered to reduce near-term budget impact.
On revenues, Cooper explained a state law change reclassifying some local use-tax receipts that reduced Brookfield’s share of that line item and required conservative adjustments to 2026 projections. He said the budget assumes modest growth (3–4%) in property, income and sales-tax revenues and that grant revenue is conservatively estimated.
Cooper said staff will present the final budget for adoption at the Dec. 8 board meeting. Trustees asked follow-up questions and were encouraged to submit detailed questions by email to staff before the adoption vote.
