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Walnut Grove council approves fiscal 2026 budget after debate over sanitation costs
Summary
Walnut Grove City Council approved the fiscal year 2026 budget and a companion budget resolution after debate about shifting sanitation costs from the city to residents and trimming property tax requests.
Walnut Grove City Council approved the fiscal year 2026 budget and formally passed Budget Resolution 2025-03 after a session that included debate about whether the city should continue paying for residential garbage collection.
The budget passed with council members Maxine McLean, Erica Miles and Rachel Davis voting in favor and council member Linda Pilgrim voting against, according to the roll call recorded at the meeting. A later vote on Budget Resolution 2025-03 was moved and approved in the same meeting.
Council and staff said the adopted spending plan reduces the amount of property tax revenue requested from residents compared with recent years. Mayor Morris said the general property tax ask for the coming year will be $332,000, down from $365,000 in a prior year and slightly lower than two years ago. Council members discussed that lowering the tax ask was intended to offset other household charges that may be shifted to residents.
Opponents and supporters framed the sanitation issue differently. Council member Linda Pilgrim said she would not approve “going back on a promise to the citizens to take care of the garbage” and voted against the budget as presented. Other council members said many residents prefer an approach that has households obtain their own sanitation service rather than the city bearing the cost via taxes; one council member said several neighbors expressed understanding and support for that approach.
City staff described the budget resolution as a formalization of the budget approval and explained it replicates the presented fiscal plan. Jay, a staff member who spoke to council about the resolution, said the resolution formalizes the approved budget and related attachments. No separate ordinance or new sanitation policy was adopted during the meeting; council actions at the session were the budget approval and the budget-resolution vote.
Council members and staff reminded the public that the council’s June 26 work session will have a heavy agenda and that staff will follow up on specific budget questions and implementation matters in the coming weeks.
Questions about schedule and next steps were directed to city administration and the city attorney for follow-up.
