The public is getting a first look at the city of Springfield budget while departments will lay out particular programs in workshops beginning Jan. 14.
The overall ask is $350,232,993 by agencies outside of City, Water, Light & Power. The utility is seeking $318,611,749.
In both cases, that excludes American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, expenses.
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The city’s Office of Budget and Management (OBM) released the tentative budget at the end of December. It is the second budget under Mayor Misty Buscher’s administration.
The corporate fund (corporate expense budget, including ARPA transfers out, and minus CWLP) is $194.7 million.
The first of three budget workshops, presented by the heads of the departments, is Jan. 14.
“It’s important to hear what programs and projects are going to be focused on, that the city council will have a chance to get in with the directors,” said Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelan, who will be chairing the budget workshops.
Final amendments are due to OBM by Jan. 25.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Feb. 11, with a final version set to go before the full city council on Feb. 18.
Budget requests by department
- City Council, $669,611, from $636,023 in FY25, up 5.28%
- Clerk, $773,170, from $629,115, up 22.9%
- Treasurer, $1,428,963, from $1,294,400, up 10.4%
- Human Resources, $2,237,552, from $2,033,199, up 10.1%
- Budget and Management, $105,258,216, from $151,931,490, down 30.7%
- Fire, $55,011,571, from $54,561,425, up 0.8%
- Public Works, $129,147,241 from $105,401,199, up 18.4%
- OPED, $20,559,211, from $26,191,888, down 21.5%
- Police, $74,014,124, from $73,096,146, up 1.3%
- Convention & Visitors, $4,186,015 from $5,130,569, down 18.4%
- Lincoln Library, $5,787,299, from $6,591,063, down 12.2%
- Mayor, $4,395,015, from $4,057,799, up 8.3%
- CWLP, $318,611,749 from 315,598,208, up 1%
Who is going up in headcount?
The city’s overall number of budgeted employees goes from 1,469.50 to 1,490.50, an increase of 21.
CWLP’s proposed headcount swings from 525 to 540, which includes called for additional water department employees for new infrastructure work–lead service line replacements and other work–under the water rate increase, said CWLP spokesperson Amber Sabin.
There is additional budgeted staff for succession planning for positions among mainly apprentices and engineers in the electric division.
The offices of the mayor, clerk, treasurer and planning and economic development all go up by one position.
The fire department and police department also go up by one person each but in personnel other than sworn firefighters or sworn officers.
Who is going down in headcount?
The fire department is down three sworn firefighters due to normal work force attrition, Chief Ed Canny said.
Budget presentations
All hearings will be held in City Council Chambers (Municipal Building West) and begin at 5:30 p.m.
- Jan. 14: Overview, Mayor’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, City Clerk, City Council, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and Lincoln Library.
- Jan. 16: Human Resources, Office of Planning and Economic Development, Office of Budget and Management, and Public Works.
- Jan. 23: Police Department, Fire Department, and City Water, Light and Power
FY26 budget details
For more details regarding the FY26 proposed budget, go to springfield.il.us.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.