Eden Prairie council certifies preliminary 2026 property tax levy of $52,000,844 and sets budget hearing

The Eden Prairie City Council on Sept. 2 adopted a resolution certifying a proposed 2026 preliminary city property tax levy of $52,000,844.08 and a proposed 2026 budget; the council set Dec. 2, 2025, at 7 p.m. as the public meeting for final budget discussion and levy adoption. City Manager Getchell presented the proposed budget and levy as a ceiling figure required by state statute; he said the proposed overall levy increase was 5.6 percent after accounting for debt levies and fiscal-disparities adjustments. Staff explained that a planned debt levy increase for a police and city-hall remodeling project accounts for a one-year debt levy bump and that future years reflect lower debt impacts. The staff presentation covered department priorities, the two-year budget process, the city’s quality-of-life survey results, revenue sources and expenditure drivers. Staff emphasized that more than half the budget increase is related to public safety (police and fire) and that other program areas are stable or show small changes. The council discussed the effect of changing market values and noted commercial property values have declined relative to residential, increasing the residential share of the tax burden; staff said the median home value in Eden Prairie has risen substantially and used that to illustrate how levy changes translate into tax impacts on a median-valued home. Council unanimously approved the resolution to certify the proposed levy of $52,000,844.08, accept the proposed 2026 budget and confirm the HRA levy of $230,000; the council scheduled its Dec. 2 hearing for final adoption and public comment.