Oak Park's proposed 2027 budget relies on about $4 million in savings from unfilled positions village-wide. Most of those vacancies are in the police department, and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Bueso said the cushion will shrink sharply by 2028 as the department nears full staffing.

"Those savings in the budget are really narrowing because we're getting close to that 95-99% staffed, and so those savings are not going to be a real savings coming in 2028," Bueso said, according to the Wednesday Journal.

The timing matters. A fully staffed police department with higher salaries will erase much of the vacancy cushion. At the same time, the first bond payment on a new police station planned for the current U.S. Bank building at Madison Street and Austin Boulevard will come due in the second quarter of 2028.

Vacancy savings prop up the 2027 numbers

The village's finance department estimated about 10 to 15 vacancies village-wide in 2027 for budgeting purposes, Bueso said. Those openings make up the majority of the $4 million savings allowance built into the overall budget. The savings cover salaries and benefit packages.

Without that cushion, the proposed $86 million in operational expenses would have been closer to $90 million, according to the Wednesday Journal.

Oak Park has carried 20 to 25 open positions village-wide in recent years, with most in the police department, Bueso said. The village has struggled with recruitment, retention and ongoing retirements. Over the past two years, the village has taken a more proactive approach to recruiting and retaining officers, which means higher, more competitive salaries, Bueso said.

Police station bond payment arrives in 2028

The village plans to finance the new police station largely through bonds. Financing for the project will begin to have an impact in fall 2027, and the first bond payment will be due in the second quarter of 2028, according to the Wednesday Journal.

The Chicago Tribune reported in August that estimated design costs for the station exceed $57 million, though that figure excluded over a dozen items including professional design fees and construction contingencies. The village board voted unanimously at its Aug. 25 meeting to proceed with design development.

The police station, along with Vision Zero infrastructure investments and streetscape improvements, will push the village close to its goal of capping annual debt growth at 3%, according to the Wednesday Journal.

Levy and budget context

The proposed 7.94% property tax levy increase would bring the village's total levy to more than $43 million, an increase of more than $3 million over the prior year, the Chicago Tribune reported. The levy funds operations, debt service, police pension and fire pension.

The village's levy accounts for about 15% of a resident's total property tax bill. Of every property tax dollar, 15.09 cents goes to the village.

Bueso said the 2027 budget process is partly about preparing for 2028 decisions on how far to go with the financing plan, what the village can afford and what combination of additional revenues, tax levy changes and operational adjustments will cover the costs.

A final decision on the proposed budget is expected Dec. 8.