Des Plaines’ proposed $243.7 million budget includes money for new fire station, streets

The ongoing construction of a new fire station, sewer improvements and downtown revitalization efforts are among the projects included in Des Plaines’ proposed $243.7 million budget for the 2027 fiscal year.

The spending plan is nearly $14 million greater than the current fiscal year’s $229.8 million total — an increase of about 6%.

Officials held an initial public review of the proposed budget Oct. 7. Another is set for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at city hall, 1420 Miner St., and a third meeting will be held Oct. 28, if needed.

The city council is expected to approve the budget in December. The city’s fiscal year begins Jan. 1.

The completion of a new Fire Station No. 62 on Oakton Street is one of the more notable projects in the budget. About $4.4 million is tentatively set aside for it.

Work began this past May and should wrap up next year, with a total expected cost of about $8.2 million.

“Crews are making good progress on the new building,” Fire Chief Matt Matzl said.

Construction is happening where the original Station No. 62 stood for more than 70 years.

Officials also expect to spend about $19.1 million on water and sewer projects, about $13.5 million on street and alley improvements and about $10.4 million on ongoing efforts designed to make the downtown area a greater attraction, such as the multimillion-dollar conversion of a historic former bank building on Lee Street into a restaurant, city spokesperson Brad Goodman said.

Additionally, the expansion of the city’s public works facility at 1111 Joseph J. Schwab Road is expected to cost $6.1 million. Funding for that project was included in the current year’s budget, too, but construction hasn’t yet begun.

City officials expect to collect about $169.2 million in property taxes, fees and other revenue in 2025. That’s a roughly $9.5 million increase from the current year’s $159.7 million estimate, a bump of about 6%.

The anticipated $74.5 million gap between spending and revenue will be bridged with reserves and unused funds that were set aside in previous spending plans for projects that weren’t undertaken or completed, such as the public works building expansion, Goodman said.

rlissau@dailyherald.com