The city must meet its legal obligations and maintain essential services. At the same time, taxpayers have a right to expect every department to use public money carefully.
Wasteful spending is not limited to obvious administrative inefficiency. Waste can also occur when government continues programs without measuring results, duplicates services already offered elsewhere, or assumes responsibilities that could be handled more effectively by the private or nonprofit sectors.
Rockford’s approved 2026 General Fund budget includes approximately $224.31 million in expenses and $224.34 million in revenue.
Obligations of this size make disciplined financial management essential.
Source: City of Rockford 2026 Financial Report
Public-safety pension payments alone were projected at $40.5 million—an increase of approximately $5 million from the prior year.
Meeting these obligations while maintaining essential services requires careful stewardship of every public dollar.
Source: City of Rockford 2026 Financial Report
Require performance measures for major city programs.
Publish understandable budget information so residents can see where their money goes.
Review contracts and outside consulting expenses for necessity and value.
Examine overtime, purchasing, vehicle use, facilities, and administrative overhead for potential savings.
Use competitive bidding whenever legally and practically appropriate.
Require a clear explanation of funding sources and long-term costs before supporting new programs.
Avoid using temporary revenue to create permanent expenses without a sustainable funding plan.
Good government is not measured by how much it spends. It is measured by what it accomplishes with the resources entrusted to it.
