Tom Dark, the city’s chief administrative officer, gave the Shreveport City Council a brief overview of the proposed 2026 budget on the council chamber floor, saying the total operating budget is “just a little bit over $707,000,000” and the capital budget is “a little over $1,100,000,000.”

Dark told the council the largest single budget is the general fund, at about $320,500,000, and described the proposal as “very much a continuation budget,” funding core services such as police, fire and public works at roughly current service levels. He said roughly $34,000,000 of the capital budget is earmarked for new projects, primarily at airports, transit and streets.

The outline included several policy points the administration flagged for council attention: a projected 2% growth in general fund sales tax revenue for next year; elimination of a proposed 2% utility surcharge from the introduced draft; a reserve slightly above the city’s 8% minimum; and no general pay increases for city employees beyond required 2% longevity raises for fire and police.

Dark emphasized ongoing recurring equipment needs that are not addressed in the draft, noting that replacing patrol vehicles, EMS units and garbage packers requires consistent funding. He said a single garbage truck costs about $300,000 and the city “ideally” would buy five a year; the draft includes no recurring purchase program for those vehicles. He also warned that water and sewer rate changes could be needed once the city issues revenue bonds tied to the sewer consent decree negotiations.

Council members asked for more materials to follow the presentation and for public handouts of the slides. Dark said the council will hold budget review sessions in November and that the council will hold a public hearing on the budgets at its meeting on Monday, Nov. 10.

Councilman Green moved to table final action on the 2026 budget to Dec. 9; Councilman Jackson seconded. The motion to table carried (the clerk announced the passage as 6).