ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – The City of Rockford’s finance director returned to her spreadsheets following feedback from council members.
“The work of government is building consensus,” she told WIFR. In her initial presentation on the city’s proposed budget for 2026 on October 20, Carrie Hagerty outlined a roughly $3.7 million deficit in the $225 million plan.
To prevent the shortfall, city staff recommended repurposing the cannabis sales tax revenue into the “general fund.” That would require council approval, since lawmakers restricted the fund to support efforts like the REGROW Grant, “an equity-driving, restorative justice and community reinvestment grant program.“…