Idaho Falls council adopts $389.6 million FY25–26 budget; approves fees and ongoing foregone, rejects one-time foregone

The Idaho Falls City Council voted to adopt a fiscal-year 2025–26 budget with a not-to-exceed total of $389,634,976 and approved several related resolutions and fee changes at the council meeting.

Municipal Services Director Pam Alexander presented the budget overview and summarized required public hearings held Aug. 14 on new fees and the foregone requests. Alexander told the council the total proposed budget not to exceed $389,634,976, an increase of about $16.9 million from the current year, and described revenue assumptions that include a 3% statutory property-tax growth allowance and proposed foregone levies. The budget presentation identified operating expenses of about $120.6 million and citywide capital outlays of approximately $111.4 million. The presentation also noted a valuation increase of roughly $8.7 million (about 7.55 percent) and a proposed property-tax levy that, because of the higher valuation, results in a lower levy rate than the prior year.

Votes at a glance:

- Fee resolution (2025–26 fees and changes): Adopted. Vote recorded as: Francis — Aye; Freeman — Yes; Deanman — Yes; Larson — Yes; Bradford — Yes; Burton Shaw — Yes.

- 1% ongoing foregone (to cover firefighter positions after expiration of a SAFER grant), amount $506,638: Adopted. Vote recorded as: Francis — Aye; Freeman — Yes; Deanman — Yes; Larson — Yes; Bradford — Yes; Burton Shaw — Yes.

- One-time 1% capital foregone (fire storage facility), amount $500,000: Council voted to reject the one-time foregone resolution (council discussion noted $400,000 was funded in the regular budget and counseled against a tax increase). Vote recorded as: Larson — Yes; Francis — Aye; Burton Shaw — Yes; Deanman — Yes; Freeman — Yes; Bradford — Yes (motion carried to reject the foregone request).

- Fiscal-year 2025–26 appropriations ordinance (budget adoption; not-to-exceed $389,634,976): Adopted. Vote recorded as: Deamon/Deanman — Yes; Bradford — No; Larson — Yes; Burton Shaw — Yes; Francis — Aye; Freeman — Yes. Motion carried.

Councilors and staff emphasized that the not-to-exceed budget includes contingency and conditional items that depend on future grants and financing for specific projects (for example, airport terminal work), and that the published number gives the city legal authority to spend if those revenues materialize. Director Alexander said the public hearings required by statute were completed and that there was no public testimony specifically opposing the fee increases at the Aug. 14 hearings.

The council also approved consent-agenda items that included a treasurer's report, renewal of GIS maintenance and support services for $93,824.15, a Public Works equipment purchase (Well Test/Well-equipped DBA American Pump) for $171,915, and licensing reports for July 2025 (53 new business requests, 14 renewals, 22 contractors). The ordinance will be read by title and filed with the county and state as required.