City finance staff told the council at the Sept. 16 work study that the mid‑biennial budget review process is underway and that the council should expect a concentrated schedule in October, including public hearings required for the property‑tax levy.

The timeline matters because state procedures require public hearings and specific notice periods for budget and levy actions, and the council must set a levy in time to file with the Department of Revenue.

Finance staff said department heads are reviewing budgets and submitting mid‑cycle requests; the finance committee will meet in early October to review requests and refine recommendations. Staff identified Oct. 21 as the target for a public hearing on revenue sources (the meeting where residents can comment on the levy) and Oct. 28 as a target date to adopt mid‑biennial amendments and the 2026 property‑tax levy and to file levy paperwork with the Department of Revenue. Staff noted that budget hearings require public notice posted two consecutive weeks; for typical utility-rate or other hearings, staff said the historical practice has been five to seven days notice, but that statutory notice windows differ by matter and staff will follow the law for each item.

Council members asked about the levy cap and noted the statutory maximum levy rate reference: staff said the statutory maximum levy factor discussed was 1%, but county-assessed values and levy limits often leave the city below that cap in practice.

No formal adoption vote occurred at the work study; staff will return with the mid‑biennial packet, a finance‑committee recommendation, public‑hearing notices and proposed ordinances for formal council action in October.