Council approves membership, funding agreements and adopts FY2026 budget, tax measures

The Seward City Council on Tuesday approved membership and funding agreements for an economic development organization, acknowledged the airport authority's levy request and adopted the municipal fiscal year 2026 budget, a property tax resolution and an adopting ordinance, each by unanimous 7-0 votes.

Council approved two agenda items listed as the membership agreement (item 6) and the funding agreement (item 7) after brief motions and seconds and no recorded debate. The meeting record indicates the organization represented by "Jonathan" has been credited with supporting local economic development; an unattributed speaker said the group has helped "create or retain almost a thousand jobs" and that the "total investment is pushing $350,000,000." The transcript does not name the motion movers or seconders for those items.

The council also acknowledged an airport authority levy request for fiscal year 2025-26; the levy was stated to be "the same as last year's" in prior budget discussions. Following that, the council adopted the fiscal year 2026 municipal budget and related measures. The council voted to approve an additional 1% increase in restricted funds (item 10a), to adopt the municipal budget and authorize filing of budget forms (item 10b), to pass Resolution No. 2025-31 setting the 2025-26 property tax request (item 10c), and to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-25, the annual appropriation/budget ordinance that implements the budget and the additional 1% in restricted funds (item 10d). Each item carried on recorded 7-0 votes.

Votes at a glance - Item 6: Membership agreement — approved (vote tally: 7-0). Motion and second recorded; no names of mover/second recorded in transcript. - Item 7: Funding agreement — approved (vote tally: 7-0). Motion and second recorded; no names of mover/second recorded in transcript. - Item 9: Airport authority levy acknowledgment — acknowledged (vote tally: 7-0). The levy was presented as unchanged from the prior year. - Item 10a: Approval of additional 1% increase in restricted funds — approved (vote tally: 7-0). - Item 10b: Approval of municipal budget for fiscal year 2026 and authorization to file budget forms — approved (vote tally: 7-0). - Item 10c: Resolution No. 2025-31 setting the 2025-26 property tax request — adopted (vote tally: 7-0). - Item 10d: Ordinance No. 2025-25, annual appropriation/budget ordinance — enacted (vote tally: 7-0).

The council record shows Finance Director Sydney Golden present for the budget discussion; the city administrator noted the budget was prepared to be "budget neutral" with no general fund deficit and that the only substantive change from prior drafts was movement of the vericut and a levy reduction. The transcript indicates the administration will file required budget forms with the state following council approval.

No amendments to budget items or the ordinance were recorded in the meeting transcript. Where the transcript did not provide a mover or seconder by name, the meeting minutes show a motion and second were made and votes were taken by roll call; the recorded tally for each formal action was seven in favor and zero opposed.

Ending The approvals conclude the city's formal budget adoption process for fiscal 2026 as presented at the meeting; the council directed staff to file the adopted budget forms with the state and to proceed with implementation steps identified by the administration.