Hastings council rejects initial 2025-26 budget, later narrows property tax ask to avoid pink-card hearing

The Hastings City Council on Monday voted down the city’s first-reading annual appropriation ordinance for fiscal 2025-26 and initially declined the city’s proposed property tax request, then adopted a lower tax asking after extended discussion on budget priorities, reserves and service impacts. Council members voted 5–3 against Ordinance No. 4809 (the appropriation bill), and an initial resolution adopting the city’s full tax asking also failed 5–3. After further debate the council amended the tax request to a lower figure tied to the 2% plus growth threshold and approved that amended request 6–2. Council and staff repeatedly described the work as an attempt to balance operating needs, capital projects and cash reserves ahead of a statutorily required joint public hearing (the so-called “pink postcard” meeting). City officials said the administration’s presented budget would have kept the city’s levy at its current rate while producing a roughly $610,000 increase in total tax dollars because of higher property valuations. Finance staff and the city administrator told the council…