Geneva council adopts 2026 tax budget, schedules readings for levy measures

The Geneva City Council on July 14 adopted Resolution 3636, approving the citytax budget for the fiscal year beginning Jan. 1, 2026, after a brief public hearing and unanimous roll-call votes to waive the three-reading rule and declare the measure an emergency. The council recorded unanimous "yes" votes on the emergency declaration and final passage.

City finance staff told council the tax budget is used by the county auditor and county budget commissioners to fix property tax rates and to certify requested millage for levies on property tax. "Included in your tax budget is a 2 year history, as well as the projected financial position for 2025's fiscal year end," a city finance staff member said during the hearing.

The budget presentation said the general fund will now include reported income tax for 2025, consolidating revenue sources that support most city operations into one fund to show a clearer carryover position. Finance staff said that, absent increases in expenditures, several funds are projected to carry unencumbered balances into 2026, including an estimated general fund carryover of $2,552,000; a fund listed in the presentation at $555,003.35; a street lane fund at $126,036; a capital projects fund at $140,500; a wastewater fund at $1,072,408; and a water fund at $849,001.45.

Finance staff also described recent and upcoming debt changes: the balloon payment on a maturing Rosenburg Bauer fire truck anticipation note due to Andover Bank was refinanced into a 10-year acquisition bond through Huntington Bank, and an estimated payment for a wastewater sewer jet pack was added to the debt schedule. Staff said the next large city debt roll-off is expected in 2028.

On labor costs, the presenter said the city has settled a contract with the firefighterslocal (36-95) and is near agreement with the Laborers local (860), but that negotiations remain ongoing with the police and dispatch unions; "wage increases comparable to the fire . . . have been accounted for at this time," the finance presenter said.

Staff outlined a schedule for possible levy readings tied to the budget: the presentation was to be refined and brought to council the week of Oct. 20, with a proposed first reading Oct. 27, a second reading Nov. 10 and a third reading Nov. 20 to permit a 30-day effective notice so measures could, if approved, take effect Jan. 1.

Formal action: council moved to waive the three-reading rule, then declared the resolution an emergency, and then passed Resolution 3636 by roll-call vote. The vote record as read into the minutes shows the vote entries as presented at the meeting (members recorded in the transcript): "Baer," "Griffith," "Travis," "Baker," "Shaikh/Shay" and "Barbo/Marbo" (all recorded as voting "yes").

Councilmembers and staff said the budget materials will continue to be refined before the fall readings; staff asked the council for a finance-committee schedule to review final figures.

What's next: the resolution was adopted as an emergency to allow budgeting steps to proceed; staff will return with the refined levy materials and readings on the schedule presented to council.

(Ending) The record in the meeting minutes shows unanimous council approval of Resolution 3636. The finance presenter encouraged council members to submit any questions ahead of the scheduled finance meeting so staff can provide the most accurate figures at the October hearings.