Downers Grove council unanimously adopts 2025–2027 long‑range plan after debate over social‑service capacity

Staff member Dave presented the Downers Grove 2025–2027 long‑range plan and described it as a combined strategic and financial roadmap that sets strategic goals, key trends and an 18‑month priority action work plan for the council to use in preparing the FY26 budget.

The plan’s financial recommendations include strategies estimated to produce up to $4.6 million in enhanced revenue. Dave said the council had recently approved two revenue enhancements now shown in the proposed budget: raising the local home sales tax from 1.0% to 1.5% (estimated to generate about $4.4 million) and increasing the hotel tax from 4.5% to 5.5% (estimated to generate about $200,000). He also said there are no new planned general‑fund debt issuances in the plan, though a previously planned water bond for system improvements remains in the planning stages. If the council accepted the plan, staff would begin monthly reporting on priority items, publish the proposed FY26 budget at the end of October and hold public meetings in November and December.

Council member Chris pressed to add enhanced social‑service support to the list of priority action items, citing village social‑worker data he said showed overall referrals up about 41% year‑over‑year and senior referrals up about 70% year‑over‑year. "For seniors, it was 70% year‑over‑year," Chris said, and he argued the program appears to be carried largely by a single staff member, Heather, which raises sustainability concerns and suggests the council should examine capacity, threats and opportunities.

Other council members responded that coordination with existing providers — including the township, which focuses on senior services, and the newly opened Community Resource Center — might address gaps without immediately adding staff. Several members recommended referring a current‑state assessment to the Human Services Commission and to staff for reporting rather than elevating the item into an additional high‑priority action item. Some council members warned that adding items to the priority list risks diluting resources and leaving other ranked items undone.

Council members also asked staff how a proposed public‑art program would operate; staff said the village would likely use a posted RFP model similar to the Blackburn Plaza process and focus initial installations downtown. Commissioners discussed the private tree ordinance and other categories of the priority list, and Commissioner Gil Martin proposed temporarily leaving some downtown flexible amenity areas in place during a snow event to gather operational and public‑opinion data before deciding on permanent installations; members expressed mixed views about that test approach.

Following discussion, a council member moved to accept the 2025–2027 long‑range plan and another seconded the motion. Rosa called the roll; the recorded vote listed Commissioner Saddowski Puget, Commissioner Tully, Commissioner Ro, Commissioner Sarver, Commissioner Davenport, Commissioner Gil Martin and Mayor Barnett as voting "yes." The motion passed unanimously.

Mayor Barnett publicly thanked the long‑range plan staff team for their work. The council directed staff to continue implementing priority action items, provide monthly updates, and proceed with the FY26 budget schedule and the public meetings described by staff.