Council adopts FY2025–26 budget, approves bonds, rates and routine city items in unanimous votes

The Trenton City Council on April 21 unanimously approved the city’s fiscal-year 2025–26 budget, authorized issuance of voter‑approved unlimited tax general obligation bonds (not to exceed $43,500,000), set millage and tax rates for the coming year and approved an increase in water and sewer rates, along with a set of routine permits, grants and contracts.

The budget and tax items The council approved the fiscal-year budget for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026, with the city’s general fund shown in the presentation as $26,457,214. During the budget resolution presentation staff read a proposed millage rate of 27.33969 mills; later in the meeting a subsequent millage readback recorded a slightly different numeric string (27.3969 mills) in the record. The council adopted the budget and the tax resolution as read at the meeting; the administration stated that the overall millage rate did not increase from the prior year outside of the voter‑approved bond component.

Bond authorization The council approved Resolution 2025‑10, authorizing issuance of voter‑approved 2025 unlimited tax general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $43,500,000. The resolution, as read, references the Revised Municipal Finance Act and specifies that the bonds will be payable from an annual debt levy and sold via competitive public bid.

Rates and fees The council approved water and sewer rate changes effective July 1, 2025. Staff presented an increase of $0.82 per thousand gallons, resulting in the rates read at the meeting of $7.19 per thousand gallons for water and $7.51 per thousand gallons for sewer, a combined total of $14.70 per thousand gallons.

Construction, grants and contracts - The council authorized JS Vig (construction) to issue the remaining subcontracts for Phase 2 of the DPW storage building in the amount of $671,019, which the staff presentation said includes $57,829 in construction contingency; funding was identified from the fire, police and municipal buildings bond. - The council accepted a Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) grant for up to $15,000 to support HVAC improvements at the city-owned Trenton Village Theater; the grant requires a 25% city match. - The council approved a contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a pollinator meadow between the library and Frank Poet Drain, with a city cost not to exceed $1,200 supplemented by volunteers and donations. - The council approved the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber’s request to hold the Taste of Downriver event in downtown Trenton on Aug. 12 and to temporarily close Saint Joseph Street from West Jefferson to Third Street.

Routine receipts and reports Council received and placed on file a resignation letter from Norbert Rodenka (Civic Commission), authorized payment of disbursements in the amount shown on the record ($524,688.73) and received multiple department reports (fiscal summary, investment schedule, commission minutes, police monthly report, pension minutes and others).

Votes and procedure Most motions during the meeting were recorded as “moved and supported” with the clerk and mayor confirming outcomes; where the record indicated “unanimously so ordered,” the article records the outcome as approved. No recorded roll-call tallies with individual member votes were included in the meeting transcript for the listed motions; the meeting record states unanimous approval for the items above.

What the meeting did not do The council did not take any binding land‑use decisions on the brownfield study presented earlier in the meeting. Several items discussed (brownfield reuse options, property control for privately held parcels, transportation upgrades) were presented for information and follow-up rather than for immediate action.