Chicago Heights City Council OKs FY22 budget
Chicago Heights City Council OKs FY22 budget (Chicago Heights, IL) – The Chicago Heights City Council on Wednesday passed a budget with a $1.2 million surplus. The last two annual budgets also had surpluses, which is a far cry from where the city was under previous administrations. Due to renovations being completed at Chicago Heights City Hall, the meeting was held at the Bloom Township Center.
During a public hearing before the regular city council meeting, Les Swintek, Chicago Heights’ director of finance, ran through the 2021-2022 fiscal year budget, explaining the expense and revenue streams that created the surplus for the coming year. He noted that the city will receive stimulus money in the next fiscal year.
Among the many items included within the city’s 2021-2022 budget was a line item for capital projects. The planned surpluses over the past 2 years will allow for $9 million in capital projects to be completed. These projects are aimed at improving the roadways, and although a total of nearly $1.4 million is budgeted for this fiscal year, Swintek noted that nearly $1 million of those dollars are funded through grant monies.
Upon adjourning the public hearing, the regular Chicago Heights City Council Meeting immediately commenced. The Chief of Staff report included information regarding a $10,000 safety initiative grant that was received by the city from ComEd. This grant will improve the city’s current roadway signage and traffic devices.
Furthermore, the city voted to approve the first July bill run of approximately $1.6 million.
In other business, the council passed ordinances and resolutions as follows:
- Amending the city code for residency requirements for certain city workers, and raising the mayor’s salary back to its normal level, beginning in June of 2023, from its current amount of $1 per year. It was noted that the salary of the mayor was initially lowered due to extreme budgetary concerns which are no longer an issue;
- Approving the mayoral appointment of Loretta Adams to replace Jim Dee as city treasurer;
- Approving an option agreement with 303 State Street, LLC for an exclusive right-to-purchase a city-owned piece of commercial real estate located at 291 South Halsted Street;
- Approving the sale of a city-owned property in Beacon Hills, under the city’s Abandoned Property Acquisition Program;
- Approving the sole bid by Desiderio Landscaping for the city’s 2021 tree removal and maintenance program;
- Approving an agreement with Michael Taylor media services for media consultation services;
- Approving a proposal for sanitary and storm sewer reconstruction and street repaving on D’Amico Avenue;
- Approving proposals related to the city water system transmission main flow monitoring.
*This article has been updated to reflect a correction regarding the planned budget surplus and to remove the incorrect information that stated the city ran in a deficit for 10 years.
Chicago Heights City Council OKs FY22 budget
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