Auburn council reviews manager, council budget proposals; tax levy sits at 5.53% in council draft

The Auburn City Council met April 10 for a workshop focused solely on the proposed FY 2026 municipal budget, where staff walked councilors through changes that produce a council-proposed tax levy increase of 5.53% and a list of supplemental requests totaling about $440,000.

Why it matters: the workshop narrowed differences between the city manager’s proposed budget and the council’s amendments, identified several department-level reductions and revenue offsets, and set a timetable for the school budget and further council decisions ahead of the May referendum schedule.

City Manager (title given as City Manager) told the council the packet before them represents the council’s proposed adjustments, not the manager’s submitted budget, and asked whether the changes reflected the direction councilors wanted. “Tonight, I think that, where what I would be looking for is, is this in the direction you wanna head?” the City Manager said.

The council-proposed summary shows municipal operating expenses rising about 3.08% (roughly $1.3 million) with new recreation programming costs of about $350,000 included in that total; the combined municipal and school non-tax revenues are shown and applied to determine each tax levy line. After adjusting debt breakout and revenue offsets the council proposal sits at a total tax levy increase of 5.53% (the earlier manager document showed roughly 8.44%). The packet separates municipal debt, school debt, and two public referenda (public safety building and new high school) so councilors can see how each component affects the levy.

Notable departmental changes and clarifications

- Finance: the council proposal reduces operating services by about $112,000 while adding $150,000 for a senior tax rebate program; one position will be converted from a city position to a contract-funded role. These items are included in the “Council Proposal” totals but are not…