St. Charles council approves 2026–27 budget after rejecting pay-cut amendment

The St. Charles City Council approved an ordinance adopting the 2026–2027 city budget after rejecting an amendment that would have reduced the proposed pay increase for non‑contract employees.

The budget ordinance, which covers the city’s fiscal year beginning May 1, 2026, passed by a 6–4 roll call. Alderman Weber had moved to amend the budget to cut the recommended 5.75% compensation increase for non‑contract employees to 4%, a change she said would save roughly $280,000. The amendment tied 5–5; the mayor cast the tie-breaking vote against the amendment, leaving the original pay recommendation intact.

Why it matters: Council members framed the vote as a trade-off between controlling near-term costs and maintaining staff morale and retention. Supporters of the amendment argued modest reductions were prudent given recent budget shocks; opponents said late changes risk losing key employees and that budgetary decisions should be developed earlier in the multi-month process.

Key details: Bill Hanna was present to answer budget questions. Alderman Weber argued in favor of the amendment and cited recent internal incidents she said affected the city’s finances: “we had an unscrupulous person steal $300,000 from us,” and, “we have overpaid a particular union the members a million dollars in pay over the past 10 years,” remarks she made while urging restraint on the proposed raises. Alderman Folks and others countered that the budget had been available to council members since January and that line‑by‑line review opportunities had been provided at multiple workshops.

Council members debated several fiscal context points: an estimated $280,000 in savings from the amendment; references to an $8 million unfunded gap cited in debate; and council concern about a separate utility funding choice that will raise water rates. One council member noted the community will face substantial water-rate increases and argued council should continue searching for savings across the budget year. Another said staff had supplied ample information across multiple budget workshops and that it was up to council members to bring earlier requests forward.

Vote at a glance: Final roll call on the budget ordinance recorded six votes in favor and four opposed. The clerk recorded the following positions: Sukley — Yes; Folks — Yes; Vanguard — No; Mann — No; Gammon — Yes; Spellman — Yes; Petrila — Yes; Werner — Yes; Beszner — No; Weber — No. The amendment (reduce non‑contract raise from 5.75% to 4%) resulted in a 5–5 tie before the mayor broke the tie against the amendment.

What’s next: The mayor said staff will continue to work with council to seek line‑by‑line savings and return with options during the coming year. The budget ordinance takes effect according to the city’s normal adoption schedule.