Fulton council advances budget amendment and adopts 2025 tax levy; TIF transfer for Fulton Commons discussed

The Fulton City Council moved a budget amendment (Bill 17-56) to second reading and later adopted its 2025 tax rate during the August 2025 meeting. Council members voted to place the budget amendment on the next meeting’s second reading and, in a separate item, approved final passage of Bill 17-54 setting the tax rate at “0.5387¢ for each $100 of the assessed valuation,” per the ordinance language read on the floor.

The budget amendment discussion included a transfer of accumulated funds into the Fulton Commons Tax Increment Financing (TIF) account. A council member asked whether the TIF transfer—described in the meeting as “almost $1,300,000.0”—would exhaust the TIF and when the TIF expires. A staff member responded that the TIF “technically does not expire until 2028” and that staff would provide finer details after the meeting.

On the tax levy, the council conducted a roll-call-style confirmation. The clerk called members and the clerk recorded seven affirmative votes and the mayor declared the measure passed. The meeting transcript lists council members during the roll call by name and confirms the final tally: seven council members voted in the affirmative for Bill 17-54.

City staff described the budget amendment as the first budget amendment for the fiscal year and noted the amendment includes items discussed throughout the year, including capital equipment purchases (the transcript references acquisition of a road grader earlier in the year). Staff said the city is seeking to bring amendments at a reasonable cadence rather than at every meeting.

Staff follow-up: The council requested additional detail on the TIF transfer and its accounting; staff offered to provide “a little bit more finer detail probably after the meeting.” The TIF transfer and tax levy are now recorded in the council minutes as actions taken at the meeting.