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Merriam council votes to exceed revenue-neutral rate and adopts 2026 budget
Summary
The Merriam City Council voted to set a mill rate higher than the county'calculated revenue-neutral rate and approved the city's 2026 operating budget, with officials saying the increase preserves services while trimming other spending.
MERRIAM, Kan. ' The Merriam City Council on Aug. 25, 2025 voted 7-0 to approve a resolution to exceed the county'calculated revenue-neutral rate and then adopted the city's 2026 operating budget.
The action sets the proposed mill rate at 26.412 mills, above the county'provided revenue-neutral figure of 25.855 mills, a difference staff said would bring in roughly $166,000 more in property tax revenue than a strictly revenue-neutral levy.
Director of Finance Brian Borth told the council the county estimate equates to "$7,700,000" in total property-tax revenue and that the staff'recommended rate to maintain current services is "26.412." He said the difference between the revenue-neutral rate and staff's proposal is "about a $166,000." Borth also said…
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