The City of Geneva is widely considered a very desirable place to live, work, and visit. World Atlas named Geneva one of the best historic districts in Illinois, and West Suburban Living Magazine ranked Geneva the top city people would most like to live. Geneva’s historic charm and small-town feel create a unique and vibrant community.

Being a historic community has its challenges, with some infrastructure dating back two centuries. In July 2025, the Geneva City Council approved our facilities master plan, which identifies more than $100 million in significant needs related to aging infrastructure and space limitations. These issues have become more pressing as City staff strives to deliver excellent municipal services to a population that has grown nearly 70% since 1980.

With a limited budget, the City is unable to address these significant infrastructure challenges without additional funding. We take great pride in serving as careful stewards of our residents’ tax dollars, providing incredible value for our residents, accounting for just 6% of the public’s property tax bill. Our property tax rate is significantly lower than our neighbors — 46% lower than St. Charles and 35% lower than Batavia. We operate with minimal debt, maintain responsible operating reserves, and earned a bond rating upgrade to Aa1 in 2023. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility earns multiple awards every year.

Our community came together throughout the past year to develop a plan to address our City’s infrastructure needs. Residents made it clear their top priorities are replacing aging infrastructure and mechanicals and improving safety and security, specifically focusing on the police station.

Our current police station experiences frequent flooding with both roof and sewer back-ups that regularly impact operations, including a recent partial ceiling collapse. Ambulances do not fit inside if there is a medical emergency, and there is not enough office space for employees. There are mice in the walls and ceilings. The building lacks adequate space for personnel and their equipment, and the open parking creates the potential for unsafe interactions. It is no longer financially sound to invest in continued repairs for this building, which also is not energy efficient.

The consensus final plan will address these challenges by building a new police station. While this plan does not address all the City’s facility challenges, notably the need to improve our fire stations, City Hall, and Public Works, it makes significant progress toward our community’s top priorities while reflecting what residents told us they were willing to invest.

This $59.4 million public safety plan will appear on our ballots for approval in the March 17, 2026, election. If approved, for a tax impact of $272 a year on the average Geneva household, the referendum will allow the City to:

• Increase Safety and Security for All Residents
• Support Our First Responders Who Protect Us
• Recruit and Retain the Best and Brightest in Our Police Department

The referendum would increase safety and security by building a new police station. The new police station would be built on the City-owned property on South Street. The new facility would provide adequate, modern space and technology for police officers to conduct operations safely and efficiently.

With its new location near Public Works, our City employees could more efficiently maintain police vehicles. It is important to note that moving the police station from its current location would not negatively impact officer response times, as patrol routes would remain the same.

These improvements will increase safety and security for all residents and our first responders while respecting the historical nature of Geneva. We will be able to replace aging infrastructure and mechanicals without impacting a historical facility, giving us an updated police station that is more accessible, efficient, and sustainable.

We will be better able to serve the community through an improved facility with enhanced technology and space for community meetings. We will also increase our ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest staff in our police department.