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Burr Ridge staff present draft FY2026 budget and a menu of tax and fee options to replace lost revenue
Summary
Village staff presented the draft fiscal year 2026 budget on Feb. 24, noting a healthy general fund balance aided by a $2.2 million 2024 sales-tax windfall but forecasting the loss of grocery and rent revenues; staff outlined options including reinstating a grocery tax, raising non-home-rule sales tax, a stormwater fee and a local gas tax.
Village staff presented a high-level draft of the fiscal year 2026 budget on Feb. 24 and outlined several revenue options to address an estimated $400,000–$450,000 reduction in recurring revenues beginning in 2026.
Financial consultant Anarie told the board the village's general fund balance is strong, in part because a one-time $2.2 million sales-tax windfall was collected in 2024. She said the motor-fuel fund is expected to remain at roughly current levels and that water and sewer enterprise funds will self-support planned capital work. The water fund will dip in 2026 because of a large project but will rebuild afterward, presenters said.
Staff identified several options to recover lost revenue, stressing the discussion was informational: raising the non-home-rule sales tax (the presenter said going to 1.0% could yield about $1.5 million if fully implemented), reinstating a grocery/place-of-eating tax (estimates shown in the presentation included approximately $200,000 for a grocery tax and $137,500 per quarter-percent on a place-of-eating levy), creating a stormwater fee (illustrative $500,000), instituting vehicle stickers (roughly $250,000 estimated), limited red-light camera revenue, increasing hotel/motel tax (limited net capital benefit), or a small local gasoline tax (a 3-cent levy estimated at ~$125,000). Presenters emphasized these are options for board consideration, not staff recommendations.
On personnel, staff said the FY2026 budget reflects a net reduction of one full-time-equivalent position (two part-time positions were eliminated) and shifts some work from consultants to staff, saving roughly $125,000. The police department remains authorized for 28 sworn officers and reported one vacancy; the police pension fund is noted as approximately 65% funded following a move from statutory minimum to an actuarially recommended contribution.
The budget presentation included programmatic priorities such as an assistant village engineer position to reduce consultant costs on capital projects, a continued rollout of the BSNA cloud enterprise financial and permitting system, and potential shared contracted social-worker services with neighboring towns to assist police calls involving mental health and domestic situations.
Next steps: staff said March 10 will be the last opportunity for board direction; April 14 is scheduled for the public hearing and adoption of the budget ordinance, which the presenters said will not be amendable on the adoption date.
