Omaha residents and organizations urge investment in housing, mental‑health and outreach while many oppose police budget increase

City Council President Festersen opened a public hearing on the City of Omaha’s proposed 2026 budget and capital improvement program, inviting written and spoken testimony before the council continues review and votes on the budget at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 2 p.m.

Advocates and nonprofit leaders told the council they support targeted city funding for services such as domestic‑violence hotlines, street medicine, youth programming and firefighter health screenings. Several dozen opponents, however, pressed the council to roll back or reallocate a proposed increase in police funding and to prioritize investments in housing stability, restorative justice, mental‑health crisis response, parks, transit and constituent outreach.

Why this matters: The hearing brought numerous concrete funding requests and policy arguments into the public record ahead of the council’s scheduled budget vote. Speakers named specific grant amounts and program needs, and several said the budget fails to make long‑term investments in housing and social services that, they argued, would reduce demand for policing. City officials and council members will consider this input as they finalize the 2026 budget.

Most prominent support and funding requests

- Jeanette Taylor, CEO of the Women’s Center for Advancement, said the organization is slated to receive $40,000 to support its 24/7 hotline for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. She described a long partnership with the city and offered to answer questions about the…