Joliet's 2026 Budget: New Jobs and Big Salaries

Joliet is looking at some big changes in its 2026 budget. The city plans to add 11 new jobs, with some of them paying over $100, 000. This news comes as the city council gets ready to vote on the budget. The total cost for these new salaries is almost $920, 000. That's a lot of money, but the good news is that property and fuel taxes won't be going up. The budget is a long document, 183 pages to be exact, and it's already online for everyone to see. So, what are these new jobs? There's a deputy director of human resources, a recruitment and retention coordinator, and a financial accountant for the police department. The city also wants to hire four more firefighter/paramedics, a cultural affairs special events coordinator, and three new positions in the finance department. Let's talk numbers. The new human resources deputy director will make $140, 000, with benefits bringing the total cost to $210, 000. The recruitment and retention coordinator will earn $105, 000, with benefits adding up to $158, 733. A service worker in the finance department will make $99, 106, with benefits bringing the total to $151, 562. The special events coordinator and the financial accountant for the police department will each make $90, 000, with benefits bringing the total cost to $140, 485 for each position. The four new firefighter/paramedics will each earn $72, 249, with benefits adding up to $140, 421 per person. Lastly, the customer service account clerk in the finance department will make $64, 563, with benefits bringing the total cost to $109, 541. This budget is a big deal for Joliet. It shows the city is ready to invest in its future by adding new jobs and supporting its current employees. But it also raises questions about how the city will manage these new costs without raising taxes. It's a balancing act, and Joliet is stepping up to the challenge.