Midland council adopts 2025–26 budget, freezes tax rate decline and approves firefighter pay adjustments

The City of Midland City Council adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and related tax measures Tuesday, approving the budget and two required tax items by 6–0 votes and agreeing to a staff-recommended pay-scale adjustment for firefighters.

Christie, a city staff member who presented the budget during the required public hearing, said the proposal reduces the city tax rate for the third consecutive year while remaining slightly above the no-new-revenue rate. “This budget provides a lower tax rate for the third year in a row,” Christie said. She gave the proposed rate as 0.347999 per $100 valuation, down from last year’s 0.348662 and slightly higher than the current-year no-new-revenue rate she gave as 0.336458.

Christie said the net effect of the lower tax rate and rising valuations is an average increase of $7.83 in annual property taxes on a median $300,000 home. “The effect of the lowered tax rate, coupled with the increase in valuations, means that the median home for the City Of Midland will pay an additional $7.83 for their property tax rate or for their property taxes…