New Commissioner Joins MWRD Board To Approve a $1.69B Tentative Budget

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
December 12, 2024

This meeting was for the sole purpose of approving the Adopted Budget for 2025.  This was approved unanimously with no discussion.  However, there is one more step in the budget process before the 2025 budget will be finalized:  on December 19, the Board will consider any final amendments which could impact the numbers given below.

Beth McElroy Kirkwood was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to fill the empty Commissioner position as a result of former Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos’ election as Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court on Nov. 5.  Ms. McElory Kirkwood will serve as a Commissioner until November 2026 when someone will be elected to serve the remaining two years of Comm. Spyropoulos’ 6-year term.

The Adopted Budget of $1.695 Billion:

• Is slightly up from the Tentative Budget approved by the Commissioners in November, and slightly down from the $1.7 Billion proposed budget presented initially in October by the Executive Director.  It is also $266 Million more than the adjusted 2024 budget, or an increase of 18.6%.
• Includes an estimated total tax levy of just under $710 Million, a 2.6% increase over 2024 (or $18 Million more).
• Has an estimated total tax rate slightly less than 2024.  Applying the total tax levy to the anticipated Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) of properties within the MWRD District, the total tax rate is expected to be 33.85 cents per $100 of  EAV in 2025 vs. 34.17 cents in 2024.
• Has the largest increases (10% increase or more) over 2024 for General Administration, and for the Construction Fund and Capital Improvements Bond Fund (for a total Capital Budget that is 64.7% higher than 2024).
• Has a proposed reduction in Full Time Equivalent positions by 14 to 1,952.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims                             Length of meeting:  30 minutes