Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Urban Services Council approves FY2026 budget, sets tax levy at 0.06731
Summary
The Urban Services Council approved the fiscal year 2026 budget, set the tax levy at 0.06731, agreed to cover a patrol vehicle this year, and noted concerns about a declining fund balance and a reduction in sheriff staffing.
The Urban Services Council approved its fiscal year 2026 budget and set the tax levy at 0.06731 during a regularly scheduled meeting. The motion to approve the budget and tax levies was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
The decision matters because the budget affects local services and funding priorities. Council members flagged a reduction in sheriff staffing, a planned vehicle purchase paid from the urban services fund this year, and a declining fund balance that the council said merits closer monitoring.
Discussion: Council members reviewed the proposed FY2026 budget and said the overall tax rate was expected to remain the same, although some numerical fields in the draft “hadn't got all the numbers put in.” The chair (unnamed), who said he sits on the budget and finance committee, introduced the item and invited members to review line items. The chair said, “it looks like right now that, our tax rate will still be the same,” and added that figures were not final.
The council discussed the sheriff’s department budget. The chair said the sheriff’s office budget would reflect a chief and three officers instead of four, indicating one officer position was cut. The council also agreed to pay for one patrol vehicle from the urban services fund this year; the chair said, “we've agreed to pay it out of urban this year.” The chair added that next year “the 101 needs to pay for 2 since we bought 1 this year,” a funding allocation the transcript records as spoken but does not clarify further in the meeting.
Members raised concern about the urban services fund balance, noting it appears to be declining. The chair said the fund balance was estimated at “1.239 mil” and described the trend as “coming down every year,” calling for increased attention to preserving the fund balance.
Decision: A motion to approve the FY2026 budget and set tax levies at 0.06731 was made and seconded; the council approved the motion by voice vote. The transcript records the motion language as, “Got a motion to approve the budget and set the tax levies, 0.06731.”
Next steps: Council members said they intend to review the budget midyear and suggested holding another meeting in January or February to assess the budget at the six-month mark. No formal amendments, roll-call vote tallies, or further funding breakdowns were provided in the transcript.
