Fox River Grove board backs FY 2026/27 budget recommendation; staff to study alternative water-rate structure

Village President Marc McLaughlin and the Village of Fox River Grove Board of Trustees on March 11 reviewed the proposed FY 2026/2027 budget and agreed by general consensus to recommend it as presented while asking staff to return with alternative water-rate structures.

Administrator Soderholm opened the budget presentation by thanking staff for their work and summarizing the village’s Multi-Year Financial Forecast and the projected FY 2025/2026 year-end performance. He said staff had reorganized financial planning documents to improve functionality and streamline the annual update process.

Soderholm told trustees the organization has emphasized operational cost savings, identifying roughly $888,000 in annual savings and about $8 million in accumulated savings since 2013. He also reviewed increases and reductions in the proposed budget and described proposed equipment purchases and capital projects included in the plan; the minutes do not list the line-item details.

As part of the forecast, Administrator Soderholm said a 4.75% increase in water and sewer rates would be necessary to meet the target fund balance throughout the forecast period, which he estimated would equal about $4.04 per month for the average household. Trustees asked staff to examine alternatives that would keep the base charge flat and shift revenue to a higher usage rate while producing the same total revenue.

The board’s general consensus at the meeting was to recommend approval of the FY 2026/2027 budget as presented, subject to staff returning with the requested rate-structure options. The board also reviewed and concurred with adjustments to pay tables included in the budget materials; the minutes do not specify exact pay-table changes.

Trustee Steve Knar moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:31 p.m.; Trustee Jennifer Curtiss seconded. The roll call vote recorded Trustees Curtiss, Hester, Joseph, Knar, Migdal and Wall voting "yes" and the motion passed. The meeting was adjourned.