City of Joliet Pre-Council Meeting Oct 5, 2026

The City of Joliet’s pre-council meeting on October 5, 2026, featured the first presentation of the proposed FY2027 budget. The city proposed a balanced budget with no new positions, a $64.8 million property-tax levy increase attributed to new growth, and a fifth consecutive annual property-tax-rate decrease. Proposed capital spending includes $15.4 million in new road and sidewalk funding (nearly $28 million including carryover), along with major water and wastewater projects: $86 million for water-main replacements, $48 million to prepare the system for Lake Michigan water, $31.5 million for the city’s share of Grand Prairie Water Commission costs, and $18.8 million for the West Side wastewater treatment plant expansion. The council discussed pension reporting, road priorities, and the city’s use of competitive requests for engineering work. The draft budget was to be made public October 7, with a public hearing scheduled for October 20; no budget vote occurred at this meeting.

The city manager previewed contracts and other items for the following night’s council agenda; these were agenda items, not awards approved at this pre-council meeting. Notable proposed actions included a $41,025,400 water-storage-tank contract with Fisher Tank Company (after bids substantially exceeded the estimate, attributed to an inaccurate manufacturer quote and higher steel prices); a $132,830.03 Ontario Street drainage contract with P.H. Farrell Construction; and multiple water, sewer, and tunnel engineering agreements and change orders. Several water-main project change orders were deductions, including $2,175,831.71 for the North Downtown project. Other items included a $104,791.32 payment for web-based fire-protection services, an $87,448 Justice Assistance Grant to be split equally with Will County, and a proposed extension of the poet laureate’s literary-arts services agreement through 2027, with the amount not stated. The only vote reported was approval to enter closed session; no procurement vote was taken during the meeting.