Elkhart Budget 2027: Digging Into the Cemetery Budget
Hey folks,
Councilman Mishler here
Next up in my breakdown of the proposed 2027 City budget is Cemetery and Mausoleum Operations.
The combined proposed budget is $1,278,350, or approximately 1% of the entire proposed City budget.
REVENUE
• Cemetery service revenue: $289,700
• Mausoleum revenue: $35,800
• Property-tax revenue: $996,600
Total projected revenue: $1,322,100
The Cemetery and Mausoleum funds are expected to bring in approximately $43,750 more than they spend in 2027.
EXPENSES
• Personnel: $1,076,900
• Supplies: $51,250
• Services and other charges: $79,200
• Capital equipment: $71,000
Total: $1,278,350
The combined 2026 approved budget was $1,224,000. The proposed 2027 budget is an increase of $54,350, or approximately 4.4%.
PERSONNEL
Personnel accounts for approximately $1.08 million of the total budget.
The proposal includes the addition of one heavy-equipment operator. It also reflects salary adjustments, proposed performance-based raises, increased healthcare costs, and the additional 27th pay period that occurs once every 11 years.
The department is also shifting some seasonal staffing from part-time positions to temporary positions based on its hiring needs.
EQUIPMENT AND OTHER CHANGES
The budget includes $71,000 to replace two Cemetery Department vehicles.
Capital spending is down $79,000 from the 2026 approved budget, while professional-services spending is decreasing by $60,000 based on anticipated needs.
The Mausoleum Operations budget includes $10,000 for bronze lettering and plaques, along with funding for utilities and contracted services.
WHAT DOES THE CEMETERY DEPARTMENT DO?
The City operates three cemeteries: Rice Cemetery, Gracelawn Cemetery, and Prairie Street Cemetery.
The department handles burials and entombments, maintains the cemetery grounds and mausoleum, assists families with purchasing burial spaces, crypts, and niches, and helps residents locate burial sites and complete genealogical research.
This includes mowing, landscaping, concrete work, equipment maintenance, utilities, and the daily work required to keep these public spaces safe, respectful, and properly maintained.
PRAIRIE STREET CEMETERY EXPANSION
The City is also planning a phased expansion of Prairie Street Cemetery.
The expansion area includes the existing cemetery and vacant land already available for future cemetery use, covering approximately 25.85 acres. The additional space is expected to provide approximately 14,500 new interment spaces without requiring the City to purchase more land.
There is not currently a firm completion date. The expansion is expected to move forward in phases based on available funding and the City’s overall financial position.
THE SHORT VERSION
Cemetery and Mausoleum Operations have a combined proposed budget of $1.28 million.
Revenue is expected to exceed spending by approximately $43,750.
The department maintains Rice, Gracelawn, and Prairie Street cemeteries while preparing for a phased expansion of Prairie Street Cemetery to meet the community’s long-term needs.
2027 BUDGET RANKING SO FAR
Police: $31.19 million, 24.6%
Fire: $28.96 million, 22.8%
Streets: $11.75 million, 9.3%
Buildings and Grounds: $6.45 million, 5.1%
Parks and Recreation: $5.26 million, 4.1%
Public Works Engineering: $4.16 million, 3.3%
Information Technology: $3.67 million, 2.9%
Central Garage: $3.52 million, 2.8%
Board of Public Works: $2.88 million, 2.3%
911 Communications: $2.81 million, 2.2%
Fire Pension: $2.75 million, 2.2%
Economic Development: $2.75 million, 2.2%
Police Pension: $2.32 million, 1.8%
Building and Code Enforcement: $2.11 million, 1.7%
Lerner Theatre: $2.02 million, 1.6%
Aviation: $1.74 million, 1.4%
Cemetery and Mausoleum Operations: $1.28 million, 1%
Together, the areas covered so far account for approximately $115.62 million, or 91.1% of the proposed 2027 City budget.
This is still a proposed budget. the City Council holds its final vote on October 15.