The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us
Oak Park offers a variety of services that can be accessed online from a computer, tablet or smart phone. Some of the services are managed directly by the Village, while others are third-party vendors authorized by the Village to conduct transactions.
The Village of Oak Park provides a wide range of services, from public safety programs like fire and police protection to support for housing, historic preservation and neighborhood relations. Don't see what you are looking for? Use the search feature at the top of the page.
Oak Park operates under the village manager form of government. A part-time, elected legislative body of a president and six trustees hires a professional manager to oversee the day-to-day administration of government programs and services.
Oak Park boasts excellent schools, world class architecture, shopping, dining and an extensive public transportation network. But Oak Park is more than a place – it also is a way of life. Use the links in this menu to learn more about our community and the many services available to residents and visitors alike.
Oak Park offers a variety of services that can be accessed online from a computer, tablet or smart phone. Some of the services are managed directly by the Village, while others are third-party vendors authorized by the Village to conduct transactions.
The Village of Oak Park provides a wide range of services, from public safety programs like fire and police protection to support for housing, historic preservation and neighborhood relations. Don't see what you are looking for? Use the search feature at the top of the page.
Oak Park operates under the village manager form of government. A part-time, elected legislative body of a president and six trustees hires a professional manager to oversee the day-to-day administration of government programs and services.
Oak Park boasts excellent schools, world class architecture, shopping, dining and an extensive public transportation network. But Oak Park is more than a place – it also is a way of life. Use the links in this menu to learn more about our community and the many services available to residents and visitors alike.
Here are links to some of the most popular items on the Village web site.
Here are links to some of the most popular items on the Village web site.
Is there a consolidated view of the external support budget for the Village, across all departments, and how has that changed over the last five years?
Click here to view a spreadsheet detailing the departmental budgets for external support from 2020-24.
What is the staff headcount by department and the cumulative total over the last five years?
Click here to view the current FTE report from the 2024 budget.
Is there a correlation between external support and staffing?
The Finance Department cannot answer that question directly. Those decisions are made by the departments individually.
During the budget discussion last year (2022), the Village's year-end fund balance was estimated at $33 million. How did it end up at $38 million one month later?
Three million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act lost revenue was not taken into account in November 2022; real estate transfer taxes were $700,000 above estimate; natural gas tax was $300,000 above estimates; liquor tax was $150,000 above estimates and; state income tax was $200,000 above estimates.
It appears that health insurance costs have increased dramatically, double in some cases. Please provide additional context.
The budgeted health insurance costs for 2024 increased 8.8% from 2023. Other increases may be due to changes in which plan each employee enrolls in or an increase in vacant positions as these positions are budgeted at the highest cost option.
The proposed drawdown from reserves is approximately $5.8 million, of which $4.8 million is one-time fixed. Can you clarfiy how the remaining $1 million is being spent?
The additional $1 million is due to the timing of a number of capital projects that were budgeted for 2023, but some of the expense will not be paid for until 2024.
As of Nov. 15, 2023, the proposed appropriation from fund balance is $6,261,172. Of that amount, $5,861,831 is for one-time costs. The balance of $399,341 will be used for operating expenses.
As of Nov. 21, 2023 the proposed appropriation from fund balance is $6,055,985. Of that amount $5,754,344 is for one-time cost. The balance of $301,641 will be used for operating expenses.
The Village's investment income was $3.8 million per an earlier memo, but the budget indicates $1.75 million. Which is correct?
The $3.8 million in investment income is a projected number for 2023. The $1.75 million is the budgeted number for 2024 based upon conservative estimates that interest rates will not maintain their current level in 2024.
According to an attachment regarding partner agency spend (click here to view), Village staff is recommending an increased $352K, which is higher than the standard $300K Village spend, yet we have not received the audit results. We would have to amend our contract language if we are going to ignore the current requirement that OPRHC is in line with HUD’s certification.
The proposed 2024 budget reflects a placeholder of $352,500 for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. Staff placed a placeholder in the same funding amount that the Housing Center received in fiscal year 2023. The Oak Park Regional Housing Center received an increase of 17.5% in funding for fiscal year 2023 because the Village was waiting for the conclusion of the Homes in Changing Region Housing Study to be completed to determine how the report affects the Housing Center’s scope of work. The housing study is still on track to be completed in 2024. The audit is scheduled to be completed by November 30. At the conclusion of the audit, Village Staff will receive a report from the auditors and make a recommendation to the Village Manager for the Oak Park Regional’s funding for fiscal year 2024.
As of Nov. 21, the Oak Park Regional Housing allocation was changed to $300,000.
In addition, the attachment includes a CDBG allotment ($75K) is higher than the amount recommended by the CDCAC ($60k) in June of this year.
The CDBG funding of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, the partner agency chart that is a part of the proposed 2024 budget, reflects a total of five (5) quarters of funding for the agency due to the CDBG program year being October 1-September 30. Village Staff estimate what the first quarter for the following program year will be based on the funding received for the current program year. This is done to ensure the agency has sufficient funds allocated in the calendar year fiscal budget.
What is the community cohort? What are the details of the digitization project?
Community cohort would be Leadership Lab though the Community Foundation. The digitization project will be digitizing all records which are only available in hard copy. For example, Board minutes, agendas, agreements, ordinances and resolutions. This will create efficiencies when responding to FOIA requests as well as transparency for the community.
Where are the outside counsel fees listed in the Law Department's budget? Given the department's hiring of an additional attorney, can you clarify how outsourced legal work can be decreased?
Outside counsel fees are listed as external support in the Law Department budget. If we were able to hire a new attorney, that attorney would not necessarily be ready to take on any substantial portion of the workload until fiscal year 2025. This is due to the time required for the recruitment and hiring process. In addition, the attorney would have to be onboarded, trained and become familiar with Village operations and legal processes. Thus, the new attorney is not initially intended to be an offset to external support expenditures in the budget. If the intent is to offset external support, there would need to be a corresponding reduction in the workload. It is possible at some point that there could be an offset where the new attorney could handle certain matters that may be assigned to outside counsel, such as criminal prosecution and attendance at meetings and processing of matters coming before certain boards and commissions, such as the Plan Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission. The addition of the position is also design to be part of the Village’s succession planning model.
What is the reason behind the Law Department's self-insured fund increase of $500,000 and the contractual increase?
The increase in the self-insured retention fund is $261,354. This is due to increases in workers’ compensation costs and expected insurance premium costs.
What are the details of the Human Resources Department's professional development program listed at $60,000?
Human Resources would like to develop a professional development/leadership academy. The goal is to identify future leaders and other high-potential employees and invest in their continued growth for the purpose of retaining, training and developing key skills and providing new or expanded experience. The purpose of this program is to create an eligible bench of employees who can step into more senior roles if/when staff retire or move on from the Village, ultimately reducing the risk and cost associated with anticipated or unanticipated turnover. We are in early stages with developing the program which may rely on a combination of external trainings and onsite internal resources.
What is the context for the additional $23,200 for external support in the Adjudication Department?
Can you provide an ARPA summary?
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(Last updated Nov. 28, 2023)
