Glendale Heights lays out priorities in State of the Village: strategic plan, budgets and infrastructure upgrades

Mayor Rebecca Janelli and village department heads presented a consolidated State of the Village on April 16, 2026, explaining how a five-goal strategic plan is being tied to the FY2026'27 budget and highlighting capital projects, parks investments and public-safety programs.

The mayor said the board's approach is to align budget resources with the strategic plan so the village can "be responsive, be thoughtful, and make decisions that reflect what matters most to our residents." Assistant Village Administrator Jenny Maltus described the outreach and drafting process for the strategic plan, which included departmental interviews, resident surveys and a workshop with Northern Illinois University's Center for Governmental Studies. Maltus said public outreach tied to the comprehensive-plan update will begin this summer at community events.

Finance Director Andrea Craravens laid out the village's tax and revenue picture and the budget framing. She described the property-tax levy as three parts (debt service, a police-pension contribution determined by an actuary, and the corporate levy) and said the village has reduced its levy from 13.995% in 2015 to 7.499% for the coming year by diversifying revenues and holding down expenses. Craravens said the police pension was "over 67% funded" and pointed to two growing revenue streams: grants (about $2.7 million anticipated this year) and investment income (which rose from about $89,000 in 2021 to roughly $2.4 million this year).

On infrastructure, Public Works Director Jeff McCumber described the village's in-house road program and funding model. He said the village targets a 15-year rehabilitation cycle and uses motor fuel tax dollars plus a village contribution; the program is sized at roughly $4.5 million annually to rehabilitate 10'15 streets per year. McCumber also outlined an upcoming wastewater treatment-plant facility plan driven by Illinois EPA nutrient-removal requirements and characterized the mandate as potentially "unfunded," meaning the village must pursue low-interest loans and grants and consider rate adjustments to finance necessary upgrades.

Police Chief George Papus described recruitment, training and community-policing priorities, noting the department's KLEA (accreditation) status and the expansion of foot patrols and outreach programs such as a new cadet program and social-worker partnerships. Chief Papus said the department made about 3,300 foot patrol contacts last year and that the village's social-worker referrals (for partnerships like Northeast DuPage Youth and Family Services) produced about 900 referrals last year.

Leisure Services Director Keith Canals reviewed recreational programming growth, a successful season at Glendale Lakes Golf Club (about 27,000 rounds in 2025), and new events for 2026 including a "Bike with the Mayor" and the planned Unity Day and 5K/family health fair. Canals also described the Linda Jackson Center for Senior Citizens's programming and the center's recent renaming in September 2025.

Village Administrator Duck Flint (recorded in the meeting record with small name variations) described a multi-plan approach that ties the comprehensive plan, parks plan and strategic plan to budget priorities and public engagement. He emphasized new opportunities for resident participation including a citizens academy and junior committee openings for students.

What happens next: staff will release a budget that reflects the draft strategic goals and schedule public outreach on the comprehensive- and parks-plan updates this summer. The board noted that wastewater upgrades will require a financing strategy, and officials said they would pursue grant and low-interest loan options while informing the public about costs and timelines.

(Reporting based only on remarks and figures presented at the April 16 meeting.)