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Council reviews FY2026 draft budget; staff to phase wayfinding project using sustainability funds
Summary
Council discussed the draft FY2026 budget, including a proposed decrease in the city levy and a phased approach to a previously discussed wayfinding project funded from sustainability-designated franchise fees.
City staff and councilors discussed the draft fiscal year 2026 budget at length, focusing on the property-tax levy and how to fund a planned wayfinding project.
Staff said the draft budget reflects about a $0.10 decrease in the city levy in a non-reassessment year, which should mean lower city property-tax obligations for residents if other taxing authorities’ levies remain unchanged. Councilors debated reserve balances and cautioned against using reserves to lower the levy in ways that simply defer costs.
Council members spent substantial time on the city’s proposed wayfinding project, which had been removed from the capital improvements list pending a phased-implementation plan. City staff said they will identify a first phase of specific destinations in consultation with partners such as the Chamber of Commerce and seek to fund a limited first ring of signs using sustainability-designated electric franchise-fee funds.
“As I recall, the ending of that portion of the discussion was that staff would go and evaluate the best way to do a phased implementation,” a city staff member said, describing the intent to prioritize core destinations and move outward so signs lead motorists all the way to downtown or specific attractions. The staff presentation noted examples including downtown Decorah and locations outside the core such as Ice Cave Road and Dunning Spring as candidate destinations.
Staff said the next formal action for the levy will be to set a public hearing; the council will set the proposed property-tax levy at its March 3 meeting so county auditors can include the city’s proposed levy on property-tax notices sent to taxpayers.
Why it matters: The levy-setting timeline is statutory for property-tax notification and will determine what residents see on property-tax statements. The phased wayfinding approach will shape where the city invests limited sustainability funds and how quickly new signs appear on highways and in town.
Next steps: Staff will continue work on a phased wayfinding plan with partner organizations and return to council with cost estimates for each phase; council will schedule the public hearing on the proposed levy on March 3.
