Budget & Finance

Every year, Illinois law requires the Village to pass an annual appropriation ordinance. This ordinance gives the Village its legal authority to spend money. It lists each area where money may be used — such as police, fire, public works, water, and sewer — and sets the highest amount that can be spent in each area.

An appropriation is a spending limit, not a spending plan. It does not mean the Village will spend that amount, and it does not approve any specific purchase. Every bill still has to be reviewed and approved by the Mayor and Board of Trustees at a public meeting before it is paid.

The limits are set higher than what the Village expects to spend. This is deliberate. Once the ordinance passes, the limits are hard to raise during the year, so the Village builds in room for emergencies, unexpected repairs, and grants that come in after the ordinance is adopted. The larger total is not a deficit or a commitment to spend.

Appropriation vs. budget: The Village's budget is its internal financial plan and management tool. The appropriation ordinance is the legal document that makes spending possible under state law.