Village passes FY 2011-12 budget

The mayor and board of trustees have passed the fiscal year (FY) 2011-12 budget for the village of Woodridge. The $41 million budget maintains the Mayor and Board of Trustees' goals which include stimulating the business community, providing governmental transparency and accountability, maintaining a safe community , reducing the residential tax burden, maintaining a safe and clean environment, and providing adequate infrastructure.

“Woodridge is fortunate in being able to continue to provide our residents with quality services and programs while at the same time being fiscally responsible with tax payer dollars,” said Mayor Murphy. The close of the previous fiscal year (FY2010/2011) reflects a surplus of $444,926 due to better than anticipated revenues and savings that resulted from cost containment measures put in place by Village staff. With a deficit of $1,442,716 anticipated going into the budget, this represents a shift of $1,887,642 to the better over what had been anticipated.

Much uncertainty remains regarding how the State of Illinois' will impact local government budgets. Anywhere from the entire share of the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) to a 5% decrease has been proposed. This uncertainty, as well as current litigation against state sales tax legislation, has led to the Village to continue to be conservative in projecting the revenue that will be coming in to support services.

The approved budget incorporates continued investments in public infrastructure and maintains the Village's highly rated core services and programs. This year's budget includes funding for the replacement of the Mitchell Drive water main, demolition costs for buildings related to the Janes Avenue redevelopment efforts, and the intergovernmental cost-saving initiatives of constructing a salt dome and vactor storage site with DuPage County. Routine maintenance and upkeep (such as the street crack sealing program), and streetscape efforts that include securing favorable pricing for residents to trim trees, replace sidewalks and driveways are also a part of this year's budget.

For the sixth year in a row, the Village of Woodridge Finance Department received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.