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Antioch board adopts FY2025–26 operating budget after marathon presentations and debate
Summary
After detailed department presentations and a lengthy discussion about salaries and capital projects, the Village of Antioch board on a roll‑call vote adopted the FY2025–26 operating budget and five‑year forecast. Trustees pressed staff on pay increases, reserves and planned capital spending.
The Village of Antioch board adopted the village’s operating budget for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2025, after trustees heard multi‑department presentations and debated pay increases and capital projects.
Budget presenter Michael Peterson told the board the village prepared a comprehensive five‑year financial forecast that includes major capital outlays — a new public works building, work on village hall and large water/sewer projects — that will temporarily reduce fund balances before they recover by 2031. "When you're looking between projected year 2025 and budget 2026, you'll see we'll see some $16,000,000 drop in fund balance," Peterson said during his overview.
Trustees focused discussion on the salary line in the draft budget. Trustee Pierce questioned the mechanics of passing routine raises inside the budget, arguing the board should approve raises directly: "I think the board should have approval over the raises, not just added into the budget," Pierce said. Other trustees raised concerns about competitiveness and retention; one trustee said the village had lost 23 employees in the prior year and urged pay that keeps staff from leaving. Staff and administrators responded that the proposed increases reflect a combination of a cost‑of‑living allowance and recommended adjustments from a previously approved compensation plan.
Peterson outlined transfers from the general fund to capital and equipment replacement accounts that are planned to finance large projects in the coming year, and staff said they will present additional details on specific capital expenditures and funding sources as projects move forward. The board also heard that depot parking and some smaller funds will run at a loss and that the village will subsidize some of those costs from the general fund.
After the discussion the board moved and seconded the budget ordinance and approved it by roll call. The vote passed and the budget was adopted; a trustee recorded a dissent on the final tally. The administration said it will present more precise appropriation and capital ordinance language at subsequent meetings and will continue to refine line‑item numbers as audits and actuarial reports complete.
Next steps: staff will return with appropriation language and any technical corrections and will continue the multi‑year capital planning conversation the board started during the meeting.
