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Nampa council adopts FY2026 budget, approves 1% foregone to fund police hires; maintains VRT funding
Summary
The City Council adopted the fiscal 2026 budget and passed a resolution to recover $468,023 of foregone property‑tax authority to fund several police positions and limited operational items. The council also retained funding for Valley Regional Transit after public comment urged continued support.
The Nampa City Council adopted the city’s fiscal 2026 budget Monday and authorized the city to recover $468,023 in foregone property‑tax authority for the coming year to fund public‑safety positions and small operational items.
The foregone amount is intended mainly to fund three additional police officers (and related costs) and a small number of other operational items such as limited council/mayoral pay adjustments and merit adjustments discussed during budget hearings. CFO Doug Racine told the council that the 1% foregone represents roughly $2.81 per $100,000 of taxable value if isolated, but because of last year’s changes in foregone treatment and new construction allocations the net tax impact for the average homeowner in fiscal 2026 is expected to be “practically zero” or only pennies on the dollar compared with the prior year.
Why it matters: Council members emphasized that public safety remains a top priority and that hiring three officers was the principal use of the foregone dollars. Council debate showed some dissent about approving pay increases for elected officials at the same meeting; a handful of council members voted against the foregone resolution because they opposed council pay increases rather than the public‑safety spending.
Budget highlights and constraints: The adopted FY2026 budget totals about $310.1 million, a 0.9% increase over the prior year, and includes $118.1 million in capital expenses. Major drivers of the budget increase include labor and benefits ($7.1 million), operational increases driven by wastewater treatment and utilities, and debt service related to the wastewater plant. The city also budgets enterprise rate increases: water (4.9%), sanitation (3.5%), and irrigation (4.9%).
Valley Regional Transit (VRT): Public comments and a speaker from VRT urged continued municipal support for regional transit, stressing impacts on workers and vulnerable residents. Council members and VRT supporters told the council that maintaining service — in particular on‑demand and commuter routes — is critical to workforce access and health‑care access. Council had already maintained funding for VRT during earlier budget workshops; public testimony reinforced that decision.
Votes and next steps: The council approved the foregone recovery resolution (468,023) and passed the FY2026 budget ordinance on first reading under suspension of the rules. Several councilmembers recorded “no” votes on the foregone resolution but the motion passed. Staff will file required notices with the county and state tax commission as required by Idaho law and return with implementation details when hiring occurs.
Ending: Council members asked staff to continue to monitor revenue trends and return if conditions change; staff cautioned that some revenue sources — notably shared sales tax and interest income — are being budgeted conservatively because statewide receipts have underperformed some recent estimates.
