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Jenks council opens public hearing on FY2025-26 budget after record sales-tax month
Summary
City staff presented a proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget during a public hearing that included discussion of a 62% year‑over‑year May sales‑tax jump and resident questions about budget format, transparency and TIF transfers.
City of Jenks staff opened a public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget and answered questions from councilors and residents about the document’s format, revenue assumptions and how recent sales‑tax receipts will be treated.
City Manager Chris Sims reviewed the biennial budget approach and told councilors the city uses a two‑year planning document under state law, with year two treated as a plan but still subject to council approval. Sims said the city expected continued growth tied to the new Premium Outlets Mall but was “conservatively estimate[ing]” early receipts because some retailers were late in remitting sales tax to the state and the city.
Finance staff noted the city’s May sales‑tax distribution — the largest in city history — was 62% higher than May of the prior year and that use tax was 28% higher; staff said a full year of numbers will be available after June receipts are posted. A finance staff member explained the city begins budgeting from expected expenditures and evaluates whether projected revenues will cover those costs.
Residents in the public hearing praised conservative budgeting but asked for clearer financial statements. Charlotte Montgomery, a Jenks resident, asked why the public packet looked different from the budget committee’s materials and requested standard financial documents such as a balance sheet, cash‑flow statement and income statement. Sims and city staff said those statements are available in the annual audit and that the municipal budget follows Oklahoma statutory formatting and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) guidance; staff offered to provide both the summary packet shown to council and the more detailed committee documents in future presentations.
Resident Justin Little said staff should provide year‑to‑date comparisons against the same period last year to better show trending and help with operational planning. Multiple councilors and residents asked staff to return with clarifying figures and suggested including year‑to‑date and year‑over‑year columns in next year’s packet.
No final appropriation vote on the city’s operating budget was taken at the hearing; councilors asked staff to incorporate the requested clarifications and return with any supplementary materials during the adoption process.
The city manager’s report accompanying the hearing noted increased sales and use taxes tied to the outlet mall opening and listed construction updates for Fire Station No. 1, several residential projects, and local commercial activity.
