Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waukegan finance director lays out proposed $282M budget; salary ordinance and final vote delayed
Summary
Finance Director Juan Garcia presented the proposed FY2027 budget—highlighting roughly $282 million in citywide revenue, a $62.78 million capital program and 543 budgeted positions—but the council tabled the salary ordinance and the final budget vote for more review.
The Waukegan finance director presented the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on June 1, emphasizing major infrastructure transfers and personnel changes while council members pressed for more detail on pay increases and one-time transfers.
"This is the proposed budget for May 1st, 2026 through April 30th, 2027," Finance Director Juan Garcia said as he opened the presentation and directed the public to the online budget packet.
Garcia reported that most revenues are expected to come from tax collections and that the citywide revenue picture the presentation showed is about $282 million. The capital program totals roughly $62.78 million, with streets and sidewalks, facility improvements and infrastructure accounting for the largest shares. The enterprise (water and sewer) fund was shown with roughly $24.9 million in revenue and about $45.3 million in expenses, with an intergovernmental line of approximately $7 million noted to support lead service line replacements.
Personnel is a flash point: the administration budgeted 543 positions for 2027, an increase of 14 from the prior year. Garcia said some firefighters funded previously by a federal SAFER grant have been moved into the general fund after the grant ended.
Aldermen pressed for detail on several categories: a $2 million TIF block earmarked for potential land acquisition tied to a Fountain Square/Metra pursuit, a $400,000 proposed transfer for community development block grant (CDBG) activities, sizeable increases in certain departments’ travel and conference line items, and a large jump in some departmental commodities. Several members asked for written backup on step schedules and the mechanics behind multi-year salary effects tied to union (SEIU) contracts.
After discussion, aldermen voted to table the separate ordinance that sets management and non-union wages so staff can provide more detailed explanations of apparent large percentage increases in certain positions; the committee also tabled action on the overall budget to allow coordination with the salary ordinance.
Next steps: staff will provide requested clarifications for aldermen before the next meeting; the budget remains on the schedule for a future council vote.
