Kegan Carwin, the city’s finance director, presented the City of Sydney’s proposed fiscal-year 2025–26 budget at the Sept. 9 council meeting, highlighting a slight decrease in the mill levy rate alongside an overall increase in the dollar total asked, rising insurance costs and several capital and grant priorities. After the presentation, the council approved Carwin’s budget report by motion.

Carwin and City Manager David Scott walked the council through revenues and expenditures. Carwin said the general fund operating budget is about $13,996,552 and that total non‑general and special revenues were budgeted at about $24,254,366 with debt service of roughly $2,048,533, producing a total expense figure presented in the workshop. The proposed levy rate would decline from 0.04999 to 0.04756 but the asking amount to taxpayers would rise by about $60,200, Carwin said.

Scott and Carwin reviewed legislative and cost pressures that affected the draft budget: LB 179 (raising police retirement contributions from 7% to 9%), LB 247 (a reported increase in landfill disposal fees) and LB 34 (a change in how some local levies are computed). Scott also said LB 613 provides greater transparency for municipalities to obtain lists of companies receiving state economic development incentives.

Carwin said health insurance costs have increased and represent one of the largest budget pressures; the council included modest salary adjustments and requested part of the additional mill revenue be used to help recruit and retain police officers. Capital requests included a 72‑inch deck mower for parks, cemetery utility work, and replacement vehicles for police and code enforcement.

Carwin described several capital and grant projects: planned street work on 11th, 12th, Hickory and King streets to be paid with local option sales tax and highway allocation funds; completion of a wastewater generation project funded with ARPA and equipment reserves; and a potential Safe Streets for All implementation grant that, if awarded, would support roughly $5.3 million in projects. Scott told the council the city’s total debt has fallen from about $36.7 million to $20.5 million over recent years and that the final bond payment for the aquatic center will be completed in fiscal 2027.

Council members asked clarifying questions about franchise and administrative fee timing, matching requirements for park grants, and the timing and cost of a new landfill cell. Scott said the landfill cell is approaching end of life and estimated a replacement window of roughly 1½ to 4 years, and stated the council’s earlier decision to accelerate design work so the city will be ready sooner rather than later. Carwin and Scott said they would share updated cost estimates when the flyover data is returned.

After questions, a councilmember moved and the council seconded approval of the finance director’s budget report; the motion passed on a voice/roll-call vote with recorded affirmative responses from council members present.