Muskegon City managers present tight FY2026 budget; public safety staffing and beach parking draw focus

City Manager (role) presented a proposed fiscal year 2026 budget on June 9 in a Muskegon City Commission work session, saying the draft keeps the general fund “in the black” but will be a “tight year” with no proposed new permanent staffing beyond a half-time ranger position and constrained capital spending.

The proposed general operating millage is capped at 10 mills by statute; the manager said Muskegon’s current levy effectively is about 9.3916 mills because of Headlee rollback effects and rising taxable values. The manager said staff is exploring targeted voter questions such as a public safety millage or a parks/quality-of-life millage and is working with Michigan State University Extension and Grand Valley State University to survey resident support, but emphasized no formal proposal has been made.

Why it matters: the commission is weighing public safety needs and deferred capital work against a constrained revenue outlook. The manager noted income tax supplies roughly 30% of the city’s budget—about twice the share of property tax—so property-tax limits interact with other revenue sources when considering new spending.

Major policy and finance items discussed

- Public safety staffing and grants: Director Tim Kozel, public safety, briefed commissioners that the fire department currently has 27 frontline firefighters and 29…