Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From:

Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Hitesh Desai, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
CC: Clayton Black, Budget Manager
Subject: Ordinance 56-O-25: Approving the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget of the City
of Evanston
Date: November 24, 2025
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends the adoption of Ordinance 56-O-25 approving the 2026 Fiscal Year
Budget of the City of Evanston in the amount of $404,012,869 in budgeted expenses
($342,108,097 excluding inter-fund transfers).
Council Action:
For Action
Summary:
The FY 2026 Proposed Budget was published on the City's website on October 6, 2025.
Presentations, weekly budget memos, and other budget-related materials are posted online
at www.cityofevanston.org/budget.
Budget Discussion and Outreach
Staff presented the FY 2026 Proposed Budget at the October 13, 2025, City Council Meeting.
The Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget was held on October 27, 2025. Budget memos
have been provided in response to questions from Councilmembers on October 17, October
27, November 3, and November 10.
Additionally, staff hosted joint ward meetings on October 29, November 4, and November 6
to discuss the budget and solicit feedback from residents. Staff have also responded to
questions received through the budgetinquiries@cityofevanston.org email address.
Changes to the Proposed Budget
The FY 2026 Proposed Budget, published on October 6, 2025, included $403,987,896 in
budgeted expenses ($342,083,097 excluding inter-fund transfers).

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At the November 10, 2025, City Council meeting, the City Council voted to introduce an
amended ordinance 56-O-25 by including an additional $25,000 in expenditures to the City's
Sustainability Fund #178 for climate action outreach services. After incorporating this
amendment, the FY 2026 Budget ordinance now includes $404,012,869 in budgeted
expenses ($342,108,097excluding inter-fund transfers).
Legislative History:
Ordinance 56-O-25 was discussed at the City Council meeting on October 27, 2025, the
Special City Council meeting on November 3, 2025, and the City Council meeting on
November 10, 2025.
Ordinance 56-O-25 was introduced at the November 10, 2024, City Council meeting, where
the City Council voted to amend the Proposed FY 2026 Budget by including an additional
$25,000 in expenditures within Sustainability Fund #178 to fund climate action outreach.
Attachments:
56-O-25 2026 Budget Ordinance
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11/11/2025
56-O-25
AN ORDINANCE
Approving the 2026 Fiscal Year Budget
of the City of Evanston
WHEREAS, 65 ILCS 5/8-2-9.1 et seq. and Title 1, Chapter 8 of the
City Code, 2012, as amended, requires the City Manager to submit to the City
Council a proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year that presents a complete
budget for revenues and expenditures plan for each fund; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with legal requirements, the City Manager
submitted the proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year to the City Council for its
review and the required hearings on said budget were conducted and properly
noticed under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1 et seq.; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the proposed budget, with
a total expenditure amount (excluding interfund transfers) of three hundred forty-
two million, one hundred eight thousand, ninety-seven dollars ($342,108,097) and
total interfund transfers of sixty-one million, nine hundred four thousand, seven
hundred ninety-nine dollars ($61,904,799);
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS:
SECTION 1: The foregoing recitals hereby found as fact and
incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 2: That the City Council hereby adopts the City of
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Evanston’s 2026 fiscal year budget, with a total expenditure amount (excluding
interfund transfers) of three hundred forty-two million, one hundred eight thousand,
ninety-seven dollars ($342,108,097) and total interfund transfers of sixty-one
million, ninety-nine	nine hundred four thousand, seven hundred dollars
($61,904,799), for a total of four hundred four million, twelve thousand, eight
hundred ninety-six dollars ($404,012,896), summarized in the document attached
hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, and hereby directs the
City Manager to implement said budget.
SECTION 3: That this Ordinance 56-O-25 shall be in full force and
effect from and after its passage and approval in the manner provided by law.
Introduced:_________________, 2025
Adopted:___________________, 2025
Approved:
__________________________, 2025
_______________________________
Daniel Biss, Mayor
Attest:
_____________________________
Stephanie Mendoza, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
_______________________________
Alexandra Ruggie, Corporation Counsel
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EXHIBIT A
City of Evanston – Fiscal Year 2026 Adopted Budget Summary
Fund FY 2026 Adopted
Expenditures
FY 2026
Adopted
Transfers Out
FY 2026 Total
(Including
Transfers)
General Fund (100) $ 105,464,449 $ 42,265,279 $ 147,729,728
Parks and Recreation Fund (130) $ 15,380,202 $ 880,000 $ 16,260,202
American Rescue Plan (170) $ 10,838,341 $ 700,000 $ 11,538,341
General Assistance Fund (175) $ 1,380,191 $ - $ 1,380,191
Human Services Fund (176) $ 6,616,338 $ - $ 6,616,338
Reparations Fund (177) $ 1,101,000 $ - $ 1,101,000
Sustainability Fund (178) $ 1,526,309 $ - $ 1,526,309
Good Neighbor Fund (180) $ - $ 3,556,750 $ 3,556,750
Library Fund (185) $ 10,189,695 $ 360,325 $ 10,550,020
Library Debt Service Fund (186) $ 547,823 $ - $ 547,823
Library Capital Improvement Fund (187) $ 1,155,000 $ - $ 1,155,000
Motor Fuel Tax Fund (200) $ 6,120,000 $ - $ 6,120,000
Emergency Telephone (E911) Fund (205) $ 1,714,170 $ 119,142 $ 1,833,312
Foreign Fire Insurance (206) $ 200,000 $ - $ 200,000
Special Service Area (SSA) #9 (210) $ 675,000 $ - $ 675,000
CDBG Fund (215) $ 1,862,559 $ - $ 1,862,559
CDBG Loan Fund (220) $ 308,000 $ - $ 308,000
PRO Housing Fund (230) $ 1,000,000 $ - $ 1,000,000
Home Fund (240) $ 2,074,988 $ - $ 2,074,988
Affordable Housing Fund (250) $ 2,695,872 $ - $ 2,695,872
Debt Service Fund (320) $ 15,722,798 $ - $ 15,722,798
Howard-Ridge TIF Fund (330) $ 780,574 $ 347,313 $ 1,127,887
West Evanston TIF Fund (335) $ 3,980,574 $ 110,550 $ 4,091,124
Dempster-Dodge TIF Fund (340) $ 204,787 $ 195,123 $ 399,910
Chicago-Main TIF (345) $ 1,300,574 $ 308,370 $ 1,608,944
Special Service Area (SSA) #6 (350) $ 210,000 $ - $ 210,000
Special Service Area (SSA) #7 (355) $ 146,392 $ - $ 146,392
Special Service Area (SSA) #8 (360) $ 62,006 $ - $ 62,006
Special Service Area (SSA) #10 (361) $ 97,595 $ - $ 97,595
Five-Fifths Fund (365) $ 1,825,148 $ 73,850 $ 1,898,998
Capital Improvements Fund (415) $ 31,628,000 $ - $ 31,628,000
Crown Construction Fund (416) $ 300,060 $ 629,869 $ 929,929
Crown Maintenance Fund (417) $ 175,000 $ - $ 175,000
Special Assessment Fund (420) $ 500,050 $ 165,676 $ 665,726
Parking System Fund (505) $ 7,031,840 $ 3,638,639 $ 10,670,479
Water Fund (510) $ 58,447,828 $ 6,183,505 $ 64,631,333
Sewer Fund (515) $ 11,486,994 $ 1,951,808 $ 13,438,802
Solid Waste Fund (520) $ 7,169,170 $ 418,600 $ 7,587,770
Fleet Services Fund (600) $ 4,410,955 $ - $ 4,410,955
Equipment Replacement Fund (601) $ 2,800,000 $ - $ 2,800,000
Insurance Fund (605) $ 22,977,815 $ - $ 22,977,815
TOTAL: $ 342,108,097 $ 61,904,799 $ 404,012,896
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