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Hutchinson council approves 2026 budget, votes to exceed revenue-neutral mill levy
Summary
After public hearings and months of study sessions, the Hutchinson City Council approved a 2026 budget and a resolution authorizing a property tax rate that exceeds the revenue-neutral rate, while emphasizing the strain on residents with fixed incomes and the tradeoffs in staffing and infrastructure spending.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council voted Sept. 2 to adopt the city’s 2026 budget and approved a resolution to levy a property tax rate that exceeds the revenue-neutral rate published for the budget process.
The action follows public hearings and extended discussion of city services, inflation-driven cost increases and staffing shortages. Angela Richard, the city’s director of finance, told the council the city had published a proposal to levy “42.395” mills and noted the city’s revenue-neutral computation: “Our revenue neutral rate… that rate is 38.612. Our 2025 budget mill levy was 30.395.”
Why it matters: Raising the mill levy will increase the city’s property tax revenue ceiling and allow spending on infrastructure and staffing the council said is required to maintain services.…
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