Atchison commission adopts 2026 budget, approves 1.493‑mill increase over revenue neutral rate

The Atchison City Commission on Sept. 9 adopted a 2026 budget, associated capital improvement plans and a mill levy that exceeds this year’s revenue neutral rate. The commission voted 5‑0 to approve Resolution 3426 authorizing a 46.358 mill levy, 1.493 mills above the revenue neutral rate, and later voted to adopt the full 2026 budget, the 2026–2030 capital improvement plan (CIP), the equipment reserve plan (ERP) and the wastewater/CSO CIP. Ordinance 6724, appropriating the budgeted amounts, also passed 5‑0.

City Manager Mark Westoff told the commission the proposed levy would increase property tax revenue by 2.5% compared with 2025 and that the combined city/library levy would be 46.358 mills compared with a calculated revenue neutral rate of 44.865 mills. Westoff said the city is proposing about $5,042,000 in property tax revenue for the taxable funds that determine the mill levy and that the three funds used in that calculation (general fund, debt service and library) total $13,757,132 in budgeted expenses for 2026.

Westoff said the administration and department heads pared some equipment purchases and operations lines during five budget workshops to keep the levy increase modest. He told the commission the budget as…