The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on May 19 on its proposed $16.7 million budget for 2026-2027.
The meeting will be at the Goldberg Center park district headquarters at 3301 Flossmoor Road.
The park district expects to raise $16,726,196 in revenue, an additional $533,734 over the current budget. Expenses are projected at $16,676,389, according to Karen Garrity, superintendent of finance and administration. The budget covers salaries, maintenance, debt and depreciation, program expenses, capital outlay and office and administration costs.
Park board commissioners have heard from staff on their plans for the coming year and assessed how best to support recreational programs, the park district’s 12 facilities and make necessary capital improvements.
Garrity said this next budget will reflect regular salary increases. Over the past six years, the park district has increased salaries $1 per hour to reach the state’s new $15 minimum wage. Garrity said the increases totaled about $500,000 for the park district.
Garrity said real estate taxes are about 36% of the budget, user fees are 46%, with 8% bond and interest and 11% from other sources.
Total expenditures of $6.7 million reflect a decrease of 6% from last year’s budget, Garrity said. Because the park board had additional revenues, it allocated $1.5 million of the budget this year and used it for facilities improvements, including new air conditioning units at the Racquet & Fitness Club, improvements to Lions Club Pool and developing a new marketing campaign.
Irwin Park’s playground area will get major improvements this year, thanks to a $600,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) matching grant. Garrity said the proposed budget also includes $95,000 for two new vehicles, $200,000 for asphalt and cement work; $70,000 for new golf carts; and $58,000 for security cameras at several facilities.
