Joliet Council Approves $751 Million Budget

The unanimously approved 2027 balanced budget comes with a $64.8 million property tax levy that rises 5% from this year.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in City Hall

Joliet Council Approves $751 Million Budget

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The Joliet City Council approved a $751 million balanced budget for 2027 on Monday, unanimously and ahead of an end-of-year deadline. The budget is up from $695 million this year and includes no new taxes, no added jobs and no major changes.

Why it matters

The approval sets the city's spending and property tax levy for the coming fiscal year, affecting residents across Joliet. Officials say homeowners should not see an increase in the city's share of their property taxes, though the levy total itself rises.

The 2027 budget totals $751 million, up from $695 million this year, and the $64.8 million property tax levy rises 5%. Council member Larry Hug was the only member to vote against the levy, and the extraction does not detail how the increase is allocated across property classes.

The players

Joliet City Council

The Joliet City Council is the elected legislative body of the city of Joliet, Illinois, responsible for adopting the municipal budget and property tax levy.

Larry Hug

Larry Hug is a member of the Joliet City Council who cast the sole vote against the 2027 property tax levy.

The details

The budget and levy were approved without discussion, following public hearings held earlier with no public comments. The city tax rate will decline for a fifth consecutive year, and $3.1 million in additional property taxes will come from new property development.

Nov. 2, 2026: Joliet City Council approves the 2027 budget and levy on Monday.
2027: Budget and levy take effect for fiscal year 2027.

City Hall

The Joliet levy increase operates within the framework of the Illinois Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, which caps annual growth in property tax extensions for Illinois local governments. The city's fifth consecutive year of a declining tax rate sits alongside a 5% levy rise, a pattern shaped by that statutory cap and by new-construction revenue.

Homeowners should not see an increase in the city's share of their property taxes, according to the budget's projections. The city tax rate itself will decline for a fifth consecutive year, though the total levy rises 5%.

The takeaway

Residents should check how the overall levy increase and the city's declining tax rate apply to their individual property tax bills when they arrive. The budget's projections suggest the city's share should hold steady for most homeowners.