Frankfort trustees approved a budget Monday that banks on Gov. Bruce Rauner backing down from his plan to commandeer half of the state income tax money that municipalities receive.
“We’re counting on him not doing that,” Mayor Jim Holland said.
At stake is a loss of $866,000 to Frankfort if the Democratic-led General Assembly goes ahead with the Republican governor’s plan to halve payments to towns from a state fund.
“The governor should be working with us to solve Illinois’ fiscal problems,” Holland said. “The proposal to reduce the revenue-sharing program does not reduce any expense for the people of Illinois. It merely transfers a budget problem from state government to local government.”
Frankfort’s $13.2 million spending plan for the fiscal year that starts May 1 forecasts a nearly $600,000 operating surplus. Trustees closed out the current fiscal year by transferring $1.3 million to capital projects.
“We always plan for a surplus because this is the money we’re putting away for future capital projects,” Trustee Cindy Heath said. “We don’t borrow money for routine capital expenses.”
Heath took the oath of office Monday night for a fifth four-year term along with trustees Mike Stevens and Bob Kennedy and village Clerk Keith Ogle. The four ran unopposed in the April 7 election, aside from one write-in candidate for trustee.
Kennedy and Ogle are beginning their first elected terms after being appointed in 2013 while Stevens is starting his third term.
In addition to the village budget, trustee also signed off on a $6.2 million spending plan for Frankfort’s water utility that forecasts a nearly $1.9 million surplus. That money will be put to use, trustees said, as a 20-year, $54 million sewage treatment upgrade plan advances.
Five engineering firms received contracts Monday to oversee portions of the project, which calls for expanding the regional treatment plant near Lincoln-Way East High School and closing two other plants.
Burns & McDonnell will earn $198,901 to oversee the project’s overall design, while HR Green, Strand & Associates, Robinson Engineering and Baxter & Woodman each will be paid 6.2 percent of the cost of project segments they design.
Also Monday night, trustees agreed to spend $200,220 for Acres Group to plant 700 parkway trees to replace dead ash trees and allotted $143,200 in motor fuel tax revenue to match federal funding for a half-mile recreational path along the east side of Pfeiffer Road from Sauk Trail to the Old Plank Road Trail. The state is expected to reimburse Frankfort $36,800 of the trail’s cost.