Dickinson council advances FY2025–26 budget plan, proposes tax rate and schedules public hearing; EMS staffing, response times discussed

City Manager presented a proposed annual budget for fiscal year 2025–26 that maintains the current property tax rate, includes a 6% cost-of-living adjustment for staff and increases funding for public safety and drainage projects.

The council voted to propose a tax rate of $0.3782 per $100 valuation and set a public hearing on the budget and tax rate for Aug. 26, 2025. Finance staff also filed the state-required “no new revenue” and voter-approval rate calculations with the governing body.

Why it matters: The proposed budget prioritizes retaining staff, bolstering emergency services and investing in drainage and street maintenance while seeking to avoid raising the tax rate amid rising property valuations.

City Manager overview and priorities City management described the budget as aiming to preserve service levels, strengthen the fund balance and improve efficiency. The presentation said the plan retains the current tax rate, expands investments in drainage and demolitions (an additional $100,000 for community development demolitions), increases funding for the volunteer fire department by $100,000 and raises police funding by about $800,000 from the prior year. The manager also proposed a citywide energy-management program intended to reduce utility costs and noted a built-in 6% cost-of-living adjustment for civilian staff.

Budget schedule and formal steps Miss Clark (finance/city secretary) outlined the schedule: a budget public hearing and first reading of the budget ordinance on Aug. 26, a tax-rate public hearing and second reading on Sept. 9, and adoption to follow. The finance director recommended keeping the tax rate the same for now; council ultimately moved to propose $0.3782 per $100 valuation and set the Aug. 26 hearing.

Council debate, travel and trimming items Council members pushed staff to cut nonessential travel and training and to distinguish needs from wants. Members also discussed liquidating unneeded equipment and reviewing franchise-fee accounts to confirm receipts (questions were raised about Frontier/Verizon reporting). Council asked staff to provide more detail on the proposed vehicle and capital expenditures and to return with options for further reductions.

EMS assessment and staffing discussion Council reviewed the findings of a third‑party assessment of Dickinson EMS paid for in part by DMD funds. The consultant’s work and internal review identified that operating a fully staffed second ambulance would cost roughly $1.1–$1.3 million annually — more than the mutual-aid costs the city currently pays. The assessment therefore recommended retaining the current single-ambulance staffing model while exploring targeted staffing changes, including adding part‑time shifts during peak hours, and restructuring full- and part-time mixes.

Medical Director Paul Fine, M.D., urged investment to close a pay gap with neighboring agencies and recommended a pay increase for full-time EMS employees (the presentation said full-time firefighting/EMS pay is roughly 12–15% below adjacent cities). Dr. Fine and Captain Robert Robbins, interim EMS director, said response times for Dickinson EMS are “very good,” with an average dispatch-to-on-scene time of about seven minutes, but that staffing shortages can cause reliance on mutual aid during multiple simultaneous calls.

Next steps and oversight Council directed staff to continue implementing the energy-management program, refine the budget details, and return with additional analyses — including equipment liquidation estimates and more precise staffing-cost figures for EMS. The Aug. 26 hearing will give the public a formal opportunity to comment before final readings and adoption.

Votes at a glance - Acknowledged filing of the state-calculated no-new-revenue tax rate and voter-approval tax rate (agenda item 7(a)): approved (unanimous). - Proposed tax rate of $0.3782 per $100 valuation and set public hearing for Aug. 26, 2025 (agenda item 7(b)): approved by roll call (Mayor Travis Maglioglu; Council members Johnny Simpson, Sean Holt, Mark Townsend, Scott Schrader, Bill Schick, Kevin Edmonds — all recorded as aye). - Consent agenda items A and B (routine items): approved.

What’s next The council will hold a public hearing on Aug. 26; staff will return with more detailed line-item analyses, equipment liquidation estimates, and the consultant’s EMS recommendations to inform final budget decisions.

Attribution — selected speakers quoted in the meeting: "It is my honor to present a proposed annual budget..." — City Manager (presentation opening). "Response times for Dickinson EMS are very good, with an average time of 7 minutes from dispatch to on scene." — consultant summary referenced in Captain Robbins’ remarks. "We need to bring the pay up to where we can recruit more part-time and retain our full-time people." — Dr. Paul Fine, medical director.

Ending Council members and staff agreed to continue budget refinement at scheduled workshops and to accept public comment at the Aug. 26 hearing before final readings and adoption.