Broadview finance committee reviews proposed FY2025–26 budget; sets public display and April 29 vote

The Village of Broadview Finance Committee on the evening of the meeting reviewed the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and the process that produced it, Mayor Katrina Thompson and Finance Director Hood said. The administration plans to post the proposed budget for public review and bring it to a special board meeting on April 29 for consideration.

Mayor Katrina Thompson outlined the budget-development timeline, saying department heads compiled requests beginning in January and met with the finance director before a final mayoral review. "We're going to still manage our budget like we are in uncertainty," Thompson said, emphasizing transparency and public input; she noted the budget will be on public display for 10 days and copies will be available in the clerk’s office.

Finance Director Hood gave the numerical overview: "the general fund is going to have total revenues of over $21 million and total expenditures of about $20.66 million, which means after operations for the year, our revenues will exceed our expenses by about $359,956," he said. Director Hood added the administration plans to transfer roughly $935,000 from the general fund into capital projects this year and expects to fund an ambulance purchase from prior savings—"close to $500,000," he said.

Hood and Thompson described key revenue and cost drivers. Property and sales tax receipts have increased, while certain intergovernmental receipts such as the personal property replacement tax (PPRT) have declined; Hood cited the PPRT drop as the main intergovernmental decrease. Health-insurance costs are projected up about 3.4 percent, and negotiated compensation increases include a 4 percent rise for union employees and up to a 3.4 percent increase for non‑union employees (with a performance component), the committee was told.

The presentation identified grant-funded initiatives and capital work that expand services without increasing local tax rates. Examples include a composting program, an energy plan and renewable-energy efforts such as electric-vehicle charging sites. Hood said grants are also supporting parking-lot improvements and an 80/20 Cook County sharing grant for a rebuild of 21st Avenue.

Public-works projects and a pilot water-lining test were highlighted as potential cost-savers. Hood described a trial of a pipe-lining product aimed at lead-service replacement and said, "It could save us tens of millions of dollars, but we don't want to really be the first person to try it. So we're going to give it a try, do a block, see what happens." The committee was told the pilot would be evaluated before any broader use.

Hood walked the committee through fund balances and special revenue funds. He said the administration estimates the general-fund ending balance at just under $12 million (an increase from about $5 million eight years earlier), while noting the estimates are subject to audit. "This is an estimate. So, but this is the estimated beginning fund balance in each of these funds," he cautioned.

The presentation also discussed other funds: the garbage fund is roughly break-even; the motor-fuel-tax account is being conserved until it accumulates enough for a street project; an ETSB account contains restricted public-safety funds that can be used for radios and body-worn cameras; and several TIF districts and developer agreements are producing or managing incremental revenue for local projects.

Department-level details included higher apparent increases in the fire and police budgets tied partly to multiyear retro pay from contract settlements and to base-rate adjustments, and a finance proposal to add two staff positions and budget for extra auditing work. Hood described ongoing hiring challenges for police, fire and public works and said the village is investing in recruitment and training.

Hood emphasized that some capital and grant-related expenditures are recorded in executive or capital lines and then reimbursed as grant drawdowns. He also noted timing effects that can make capital funds show negative balances temporarily while grant reimbursements are pending.

The proposed budget will be posted on the village website and available in the clerk’s office; staff invited trustees and the public to review line items and submit questions. No formal budget vote was held at the finance committee meeting; a special board meeting to consider approval was scheduled for April 29 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting adjourned after a motion to end the session.

What happens next: the proposed budget will be on public display for the required period, the administration will respond to questions from trustees and residents, and the board will take up the matter at the April 29 special meeting.