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Lake Forest council adopts midcycle budget adjustments, OKs $14.8 million in CIP projects
Summary
Council approved midcycle adjustments for FY 2026–27, with general fund revenue estimated at $70.5 million, costs at $65.8 million, and a 14-project CIP totaling $14.8 million; a public commenter questioned whether the HVAC server-room project description matched original engineering documents.
The Lake Forest City Council on June 2 approved midcycle budget adjustments and appropriations for fiscal year 2026–27 after a presentation from Director of Finance Kevin Shyra.
Shyra told the council the midcycle review proposes general fund revenues of approximately $70.5 million and general fund cost estimates near $65.8 million, with public safety remaining the largest cost center. He said the capital-improvement program (CIP) before the council included 14 projects totaling about $14.8 million and noted two general-fund CIP projects carried revised cost estimates totaling $478,000.
Shyra said the budget reflects the city’s continued fiscal stability and that 81% of general-fund revenue is expected from taxes. He also referenced adjustments across program areas, including public safety, planning and engineering, and culture and recreation.
During public comment, Marcel Louis the 14th questioned the description of a proposed standalone HVAC system for the Civic Center IT server room, saying the design consultant P2S’s contract language indicated the server room should already have dedicated HVAC and power and that staff documents mislabel an attachment number. "Either the engineering company never put it in in the first place... or the person writing the description of the project misunderstood what they were talking about," Louis said, asking staff for clarification.
The council moved to adopt the staff recommendation; the motion was recorded as passing 4-0 with Council Member Tedmer absent.
Why it matters: The midcycle adjustments set resource allocations and move several capital projects forward, including traffic-signal and Civic Center server-room work that could affect city operations and public infrastructure.
What’s next: Staff will proceed with the projects and return if further adjustments are needed; the transcript records that staff will follow up on negotiation-dependent items, such as law-enforcement contract costs.
