Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – District 186 stands to start the fiscal year with a deficit – for the second year in a row. Business manager Steve Miller presented his tentative budget to the board Tuesday.

“Expenditures are a prediction of materials, staffing, contractual salaries, and service to be incurred by the district,” said Miller. “Please note that all expenses are budgeted at 100 percent of projected cost, while revenues are conservatively budgeted. This means we budget for the worst-case scenario in both our expenditures and revenues.”

The deficit looks to be $21 million, more than twice that of a year ago: a deficit which the district managed to erase by spending only 95 percent of the budget. Still, it does not sit well with board president Micah Miller.

“I trusted the process last time,” he said. “This time we need to consider how much of that fund balance we are holding onto.”

The board’s next meeting, Sept. 16, will include a public hearing and final vote on the budget.