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Grants Pass council adopts FY 2026 budget, levies taxes and elects to receive state shared revenues
Summary
Council adopted the city budget for fiscal year 2026, approved property tax levies including a public-safety local option levy, and passed a resolution to accept state shared revenues (estimated $513,000). The budget passed 6–2 amid discussion about nonbargaining employee pay and a task force.
The Grants Pass City Council adopted the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, levied property taxes and voted to accept state shared revenues during a public hearing and subsequent resolutions. The council approved the balanced budget, authorized the permanent property tax rate and public-safety local option levy, and declared the city’s election to receive state revenue-sharing funds.
City staff presented an overview of the budget process, financial assumptions and major figures: the overall city budget was presented as approximately $240 million, with the general fund representing about 23% and enterprise funds about 44% of the total. Staff said roughly 60% of expenditures are personnel costs and noted a projected FY27 tightening that may require service-level or revenue changes. Staff also described the statutory requirement that the city declare its intention to receive state revenue-sharing funds; staff stated the liquor-tax share included in FY26 is about $513,000.
Councilors questioned the composition of several line items and objected to approving certain nonbargaining-unit salary assumptions before a task force completed a review. Councilor Joel and Councilor Indra urged holding any nonbargaining salary decisions pending the task-force report, arguing for credibility and more public transparency. Staff and other councilors noted that adopting a budget is required by June 30 to provide appropriation authority, that budgeted amounts are estimates and that appropriations for bargaining or nonbargaining salaries do not alone finalize pay changes.
Three linked resolutions followed the hearing: a resolution electing to receive state shared revenues (moved by Councilor Victoria, seconded by Councilor Seth); a resolution levying and categorizing property taxes including the city’s permanent rate and a $1.79 public-safety local option levy (mover and seconder on the record); and a resolution adopting the FY2026 budget and making appropriations. The declaration to receive state shared revenues and the tax levy resolution passed by unanimous roll call. The final motion to adopt the budget passed 6–2 (Councilors Indra and Joel voted no).
Council members agreed to continue work on public-safety funding and service-level discussions at an upcoming workshop and to rely on the nonbargaining compensation and classification task force to review salary recommendations. Staff said any mid-year changes above 10% to a fund would trigger a supplemental budget or a return to the budget committee per Oregon budget law.
No members of the public offered substantive testimony during the budget hearing; one public comment addressed the marijuana tax and expectations about how those revenues were used. The council’s budget adoption provides appropriation authority for July 1 operations and enables staff to submit the adopted budget for award consideration by the Government Finance Officers Association.
