Lebanon staff present $88.24 million proposed FY2026 budget; committee elects chair, sets meeting schedule

City staff presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 city budget — $88,240,933 in total appropriations — to the Lebanon Budget Committee, and the committee elected Councilor Dave Workman as chair and named Councilor Carl Mann secretary. Staff also delivered the Lebanon Urban Renewal Agency budget message covering five renewal districts and urged the committee to review bond and project plans tied to North Gateway and the Northwest districts.

The budget message, read into the record by city staff, said the proposal "is a comprehensive financial plan that aligns with the city council's goals while ensuring the needs of our residents and visitors are met," and noted the plan maintains current service levels without planned personnel reductions. The presentation said the city implemented a city services fee on 01/01/2025 to address a structural general-fund shortfall and that the fee has helped stabilize finances but may require adjustments in future years. (Staff member, budget presenter)

Why it matters: the budget covers core services and capital projects including a wastewater treatment plant upgrade, waterline replacements and parks planning; it also affects tax distributions tied to urban renewal districts and could temporarily reduce general-fund property tax receipts while the Northwest Urban Renewal District accelerates debt payments.

Key details from the city budget presentation

- Total proposed appropriations: $88,240,933. (Staff member, budget presenter) - The budget includes a contingency line of roughly $600,000 for unforeseen events and a policy reserve requirement of 17% of expenditures (approximately $1.7 million per year). - The proposal does not include planned…