As the Village of Oak Park’s proposed 2027 budget and property tax levy moves into review and adoption phases, there are two notable topics that are not expected to have a fiscal impact until 2028: expected full staffing in the police department and the new police department capital project.
Police departments across the country have experienced staffing shortages over the past several years, and Oak Park has not been an exception. In recent years, there have been 20 to 25 open staff positions across the village each year with most of the vacancies in the police department, said Chief Financial Officer Kevin Bueso.
Oak Park has struggled with both recruitment and retention of officers coupled with ongoing retirements.
Bueso said the finance department estimated about 10 to 15 vacancies in 2027 for budgeting purposes which makes up the majority of an estimated $4 million savings allowance from village-wide vacancies in the overall 2027 budget. The savings amount accounts for salaries and benefit packages.
To put it into perspective, the proposed $86 million operational expenses would have been closer to $90 million for the upcoming year if all open positions were filled.
Those staffing shortages are on the road to shrinking, possibly entirely, by 2028, and the savings will shrink with it.
“Over the last two years, there has been a very intentional, proactive approach to recruiting and retaining people in the police department, so that does mean higher, more competitive salaries,” said Bueso.
The competition for recruiting police officers is not necessarily bigger police departments like Chicago, but actually top world companies like Google and Microsoft, according to Bueso.
“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,” said Bueso.
The village has committed to a major capital improvement plan with a new police station planned for the current U.S. Bank building at Madison Street and Austin Boulevard. Financing for that project will not begin to have impact until Fall 2027. This project will largely be funded through bonds, and the first payment towards the money borrowed will be due in the second quarter of 2028.
“What we’re trying to do is sort of prepare for that conversation in 2028 as we look into what extent do we want to implement the financing plan, and what’s affordable, what’s the appetite for a combination of additional revenues, tax levy, and operations in terms of how we’re going to fund all of that,” said Bueso.
The village board and finance committee have been working on long-term financial planning to manage existing and anticipated debt. There is an overarching goal to have an annual debt growth of no more than 3%. The police station project, ongoing Vision Zero infrastructure investments and streetscape improvements will put the village close to that borrowing limit for the next few years.
The proposed 2027 budget and increased tax levy of 7.94% does account for debt accrued from Vision Zero and the Percy Julian Chicago Avenue Streetscape project. The upcoming fiscal year and near-future impacts remain the focus as it moves to a series of multiple public meetings before budget adoption by the village board in December.
