Board Debates Forgiving Road District Loan in 2026 Budget Draft

Green Garden Township Board Meeting | Feb. 9, 2026

Article Summary: The Green Garden Township Board reviewed the draft 2026 budget, which includes a discussion on whether to forgive a $35,000 portion of a loan owed by the Road District. The meeting also highlighted rising costs for legal and accounting services.

Budget Draft Key Points:

• Road District Loan: The Road District owes the Town Fund $70,000 from a long-standing loan.

• Road Commissioner Stance: Road Commissioner Jim Hilliard advocated for keeping the funds within the Road District to support infrastructure and road maintenance.

• Rising Professional Costs: The draft budget increases the allocation for legal services from $5,000 to $20,000 and accounting services from $12,500 to $25,000.

• Town Hall Grant: A new revenue line item tracks the expected $530,000 reimbursement for the Town Hall renovation.

Green Garden Township officials began discussions on the 2026 fiscal year budget on Monday, debating the future of a $70,000 debt owed by the Road District to the Township.

Supervisor Dean Christofilos presented a draft budget that raised the question of whether to forgive half of the remaining balance. The Road District currently owes the township $70,000 from a loan issued years ago.

Road Commissioner Jim Hilliard spoke in favor of retaining the funds within the Road District to support maintenance on the township’s extensive road network, noting that Green Garden has the third-largest road district in the county.

“I think as a resident, it’s more beneficial to have that money at the Road District,” Hilliard said. “We don’t have the best roads… money doesn’t allow for us to do the paving.”

The board discussed the financial health of the road district and the township’s own needs but made no final decision. The budget will not be finalized until later in the spring, as final levy numbers from the county are expected in April.

The draft budget also reflects increased costs for professional services. Christofilos noted that the previous legal budget of $5,000 was insufficient, proposing an increase to $20,000. Similarly, accounting fees are projected to rise to $25,000, partly because the township intends to cover the cost of the county audit for the entire government, rather than requiring the Road District to pay a separate portion.