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Prospect Heights unveils FY27 budget priorities; council approves flood‑control contracts and routine items
Summary
City staff presented a conservative FY27 general fund proposal (projected fund balance ~ $18.26M) with a recommended police pension contribution of about $1.62M, proposed $21.5M bond referendum for roads, modest staffing additions and several flood‑control contracts approved for Hillcrest Lake.
City staff presented the fiscal year 2026–27 general fund budget framework to the Prospect Heights City Council on March 9, emphasizing conservative revenue assumptions, pension obligations and an upcoming capital plan.
Finance staff said the recommended police pension contribution for 2027 is about $1,617,596 and that the pension fund’s projected funding level is just under 75 percent — up from about 69 percent the previous year. The proposed FY27 budget includes a full recommended contribution funded partly by a $517,000 property tax levy and a general fund transfer.
The presentation estimated a $473,000 surplus for FY27 and a projected general fund balance of approximately $18,255,335. Staff also outlined a five‑year capital improvement program with an estimated $44.7 million in projects; proposed funding sources included a bond referendum (about $21.5 million), $12.4 million expected in grants and $5 million from the general fund.
Public safety and staffing drew particular attention. Police leadership requested one additional full‑time officer for FY27 to address minimum staffing and call volumes. The chief also highlighted the time and cost of body‑worn camera FOIA processing: staff logged 57 body‑worn FOIA requests in 65 days and estimated average redaction time at roughly 8.3 hours per hour of footage — a workload that the department projected could cost tens of thousands of dollars in staff time for 2026.
Council also approved several items related to stormwater and sidewalks:
• Resolution R2606 — authorized a civil engineering services agreement with Geewall Hamilton & Associates for construction engineering on the Hillcrest Lake Outflow Flood Control Project, not to exceed $49,800 (approved). • Resolution R2607 — awarded the Hillcrest Lake Outflow construction contract to Berger Contractors Inc. for $588,259.70 with a recommended 10 percent contingency (approved); staff noted a $420,000 DCEO grant from state lawmakers would fund roughly 70–80 percent of the project. • Resolution R2608 — approved a $38,960 professional services agreement with Geewall Hamilton for plat of highways and land acquisition steps to procure a permanent railroad easement needed for a Camp McDonald sidewalk project (approved); staff said the construction phase is covered by Invest in Cook and ITEP grants.
Other routine business included approval of an ordinance to surplus a city vehicle (O26‑02) and the council’s authorization of warrants and payroll. No final budget adoption occurred; staff said the council will continue the budget workshop on March 23 with capital improvement plan details.
What's next: the council will reconvene March 23 to review the capital improvement plan, related funds, and to continue the budget discussion.
