Robinson — The Robinson City Council on Aug. 29 adopted the city’s fiscal 2025–26 budget totaling $46,810,098 and approved an ordinance setting the property tax rate at 50.9937 cents per $100 of assessed value, actions council members said will fund street projects and the financing for a ladder truck.

City staff opened a public hearing on the proposed budget and read fund totals into the record: “The total operating budget for the general fund is $10,428,527,” staff said. The debt service fund was listed at $3,313,085; staff listed utility fund figures in the record (the transcript contains an anomalous numeric transcription for the utility fund, discussed below); capital projects were listed at $10,134,700; and utility fund capital projects were listed at $10,953,002.95. Staff recorded a total allocation across all funds of $46,810,098.

The budget ordinance (No. 2025-025) was moved and seconded and adopted by a voice vote. Council then considered ordinance No. 2025-026 to adopt the tax rate. As presented in the meeting, the council reduced a proposed rate of just over 53¢ to 0.509937 (50.9937¢), and a council member moved: “I move that the property tax be increased by the adoption of a rate of point 0.509937, which is effectively a 15% increase in the tax rate.” The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

City staff said the 32.5299¢ portion of the rate is for general fund operations (about a quarter-cent lower than the current operations rate) and 18.4638¢ will fund interest and sinking for recently issued certificates of obligation tied to street projects and the ladder truck. Staff said the ladder truck itself was ordered in 2023 and that the financing was finalized in the current year.

The council also voted to ratify that the budget reflects a property tax revenue increase over the previous year, an action required by state statute when adopted budgets raise more property tax revenue than in the prior year. Staff asked council members to sign an adoption letter to the tax assessor, “Miss Young,” before leaving the meeting.

Resident Dougie raised questions during the public hearing about the ladder truck and whether Robinson’s building stock required that apparatus. City staff responded that the ladder truck purchase was not a new order in this budget year but had been ordered in 2023 and that ladder trucks are procured in part for footprint and height considerations for local school properties and larger buildings.

Councilmembers also requested at least one item for a future agenda: staff research into the feasibility of bringing a local post office to Robinson.

The budget ordinance, tax-rate ordinance and the ratification motion were each adopted by voice vote. The transcript does not record roll-call vote tallies or the names of individual council members who voted yes or no; the meeting record shows voice votes only.

Why this matters: City leaders said the tax-rate decision funds multi-year street projects and equipment financing that will affect capital spending and debt service budgets in coming years. Residents who spoke at the hearing asked about the practical need for some capital purchases and about the source of financing.

Ending: Council staff said they will provide the signed adoption paperwork to the tax assessor and bring follow-up items to a future agenda if staff research on the post office is completed.