Brighton council hears 2025–26 budget presentation; proposes small water and sewer rate increases

Director Liz Gaines delivered the City of Brighton’s proposed 2025–26 budget and fee schedule at the April 8 City Council meeting, outlining revenue projections, planned capital spending and a small increase to utility rates.

Gaines told council the city is projecting roughly $600,000 more in revenue than was originally budgeted for the current year, driven primarily by $375,000 in higher-than-expected interest income, $88,000 in additional property tax receipts and $50,000 in personal property tax reimbursement from the state. “On the revenue side, we’re projecting, like, $600,000 to the good, over what we budgeted,” Gaines said.

The proposed general-fund budget for 2025–26 would keep the city’s fund balance above city policy: Gaines reported the adopted fund-balance target of 15 percent and said the city is on track to finish this fiscal year with an assigned and unassigned fund balance near 40 percent of next year’s expenditures (the budget presentation used a 37 percent adopted baseline and projected closer to 40 percent at year-end).

Wh…