Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Warrenville outlines FY26 financial snapshot and sets FY27 budget timeline
Summary
Director Dahlstrom told the committee all funds are operating in the black through July but cautioned that audit timing and state remittance changes affect comparability; staff set a budget workshop for March 14, 2026 and targeted final adoption for April 20, 2026.
Director Kevin Dahlstrom presented the committee with the city's first fiscal‑year‑2026 financial update and the FY27 budget preparation and adoption timeline, saying most funds were operating in the black through July while noting some revenue timing and audit entries remain unresolved.
Dahlstrom described a shift in how certain taxes are remitted following state changes to the "leveling the playing field" act: he said use‑tax receipts fell (he cited a current figure of $27,004.70 per month down from roughly $42,900 a year earlier) while shared sales tax and home‑rule sales tax were running about $30,000 and $32,000 ahead, respectively, effectively offsetting some of the use‑tax decline. He said projections from IML informed those estimates and that the change reflects remittance and reporting shifts rather than a single-source windfall.
On expenses, Dahlstrom said 10 of 12 general-fund cost centers were under budget through July; an overage in the police fund reflects timing of property‑tax remittance into the police pension. He also said some Surrey Park project costs are recorded now while not all related grant revenues have been recognized—grant receipts were treated as deferred revenue until expenditures occur.
Committee members asked clarifying questions. Alderman Goodman pressed why use tax dropped while shared sales tax rose in some months; Dahlstrom reiterated the legislative remittance changes and IML projections. Alderman Lockett observed that, when combined, the tax shifts represented an approximate net positive of $160,000 year‑to‑date and asked about grant timing; Dahlstrom said each of two park grants was $600,000 and the city had received the first $300,000 disbursement for each, with the remainder to be recognized as work progresses and audit entries permit. Dahlstrom also said some developer donations (CityShare) will be used for park construction.
Dahlstrom noted the city is working to produce more graphs and a cash‑investment report from its new ERP system and encouraged council members to submit budget-request forms by Oct. 20; the staff entry phase will begin Oct. 31, 2025, a council budget workshop is planned for March 14, 2026, and the council is to consider final adoption on April 20, 2026.
On cannabis/amusement reporting, Dahlstrom said state confidentiality rules limit public breakout for a single dispensary (revenues show up in home‑rule and sales tax lines) but that the category was "doing okay"; he said water and sewer funds currently show a surplus because the city has not yet made a payment to Naperville under an intergovernmental cost allocation and that payment is expected to reduce the apparent surplus once completed.
Staff agreed to assemble an itemized grants list with application status and due dates at Alderman Weidner's request. The committee accepted the update as information and recommended the FY27 budget timeline for council consideration.
