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Votes at a glance: Augusta council approves library tax ordinance, IRB extension, public works and water bonds, and street engineering contract
Summary
At its Sept. 15 meeting the Augusta City Council approved a package of ordinances, resolutions and contracts: an update to the library tax cap, an extension of a sales-tax exemption for a senior-apartment rehabilitation, authorization for public-works and water-system bonds, and a $77,000 engineering contract for a US-54 mill-and-overlay grant.
Augusta — The Augusta City Council on Sept. 15 approved a set of formal items in addition to the adopted 2026 budget, including an ordinance limiting library tax increases, an extension of an industrial revenue bond (IRB) sales-tax exemption for a senior-apartment rehabilitation, authorization to finance a public-works campus and water-system meter improvements, and a professional-services contract for a state street grant project.
Library tax ordinance
The council voted by roll call to adopt Ordinance No. 22-49, which updates the maximum property-tax dollar amounts for the Augusta Public Library operating fund and library employee-benefit fund to match figures in the newly adopted 2026 budget certificate. The roll-call recorded the following votes: Martin — Yes; Burke — Yes; Bailey — Yes; Scott — Yes; Richardson — Yes; Davis — Yes; Brown — Yes; Maher — Yes. The motion carried.
IRB extension for senior-apartment rehabilitation
The council approved Resolution No. 2025-20, which amends a 2023 resolution regarding the Club Tower rehabilitation project and extends the effective period for the project's sales-tax exemption certificate through Dec. 31, 2025. Bond counsel Kevin Cowan told the council the developer expects a December completion and the extension will allow the sales-tax exemption certificate to cover the remaining work. Cowan said this action is preparatory; he told the council he expects to return in coming weeks to discuss the issuance of bonds when the project is complete.
Public works campus, water-system improvements, and bond authorization
The council approved three related resolutions (2025-21, 2025-22 and 2025-23) to: (1) authorize construction of public-works campus buildings; (2) authorize improvements to the city public-water system (including reimbursement for advanced metering infrastructure previously installed for water); and (3) authorize staff and bond counsel to proceed with offering general-obligation bonds (Series 2025) to finance the projects. Staff said the combined public-works project was previously estimated at more than $8 million; the staff report referenced approximately $1.2 million in internal cash that will reduce bond principal (an item described as electric department equity for acquisition of an existing building). Bond counsel described a plan to issue a single tax-exempt bond series to cover both public-works projects and the water-meter reimbursement to avoid a separate taxable issuance.
Water-meter (AMI) status
Staff said the water portion of the advanced metering infrastructure is 100% installed; electric metering is about 25% installed. The council approved the water-system resolution and the bond-offering authorization by voice votes.
Contract for CCLIP US-54 mill and overlay (JEO Consulting)
The council approved a professional-services agreement with JEO Consulting Group, Inc., for design of the US-54 mill-and-overlay project funded under the KDOT CCLIP program. Staff clarified the grant award was for a KDOT program with a $400,000 cap (not a $1,000,000 program as previously misstated in an earlier discussion). The contract was approved "in an amount not to exceed $77,000," and the city manager was authorized to sign.
Other routine votes
Earlier in the meeting the council approved minutes from the Sept. 2, 2025 city council meeting and the Sept. 11, 2025 work session, and approved Appropriate Appropriation Ordinance No. 9 dated Sept. 10, 2025. Those motions carried by voice vote.
What the actions mean
- Ordinance 22-49 ties the library's tax-dollar ceilings to the updated budget certificate adopted by the council. - Resolution 2025-20 preserves the developer's sales-tax exemption while the Club Tower rehabilitation completes; council and bond counsel expect a future bond issuance once the developer finalizes the project. - Resolutions 2025-21/22/23 establish the legal basis for construction, water improvements and a bond sale; staff and bond counsel will return with sale results and more detailed financing terms. - The JEO contract advances design work so the city can bid the US-54 street work, anticipating construction in 2027.
All items described above were approved by the council at the Sept. 15 meeting; where roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript they are reported above.
