Maplewood council weighs 2026 vs. 2027 bond timing for city hall and police facility upgrade; staff to produce taxpayer impact and outreach plan

Maplewood — At a May 13 City Council work session, staff presented an updated draft budget that includes a proposed 2% cost-of-living increase for city employees and briefed the council on options and timing for a bond to fund upgrades to City Hall and the police facility. Council members discussed whether to place a bond question on the 2026 municipal ballot or wait until 2027 and asked staff to prepare taxpayer-impact examples, conceptual renderings and a public outreach plan.

The draft budget update: city staff said they had identified cuts and reallocations that reduce the General Fund drawdown but that more work is required before the final budget. Staff confirmed the draft includes a proposed 2% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff, and no final budget action was required at the May 13 work session.

City staff presented a timeline and feasibility work from Navigate Billing Solutions (the consultant…