Seat Pleasant holds first reading of FY 2026 budget; property tax rate set in ordinance text

The Seat Pleasant City Council on Monday heard the first reading of Ordinance O25-13, the city’s proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget, which the clerk read into the public record.

The ordinance text read during the meeting sets the real property tax rate at 58 cents per $100 of assessed value and the personal property tax rate at $10 per $100 of assessed value. The ordinance states the fiscal year begins July 1, 2025, and that funds appropriated must be expended only for the purposes and up to the amounts reflected in the attached approved annual budget.

The clerk read several expenditure and revenue line items into the record, including line items labeled in the ordinance as: general government, $55,739,785; public safety, $5,661,565.66; environmental justice, $2,508,708; public engagement, $635,001. The document as read lists total general fund revenues and expenditures as $14,185,232 (figures in the transcript are presented verbatim from the clerk’s reading and include some formatting irregularities in the audio record).

Section language in the ordinance also notes that the ordinance will become effective 20 days following approval by the mayor unless subsequently passed by favorable votes from five council members after a mayoral veto, and directs the city clerk to certify adoption and publish as required by law.

This was the ordinance’s first reading; the council did not vote to adopt the budget at the meeting. Staff and councilmembers discussed monitoring state budget and tax developments during the July 1 effective date window and indicated further meetings and budget work sessions will precede final adoption.