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Escanaba council adopts 2025–26 budget, sets millage at 17.442 mills
Summary
The Escanaba City Council voted to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget, set the city millage at 17.442 mills and approved the capital improvements plan and master fee schedule after a final public hearing.
The Escanaba City Council on May 15 adopted the city's fiscal year 2025'26 operating budget and set the 2025 tax millage rate at 17.442 mills.
Council members said the action followed four prior public hearings and three budget work sessions. Administration recommended approval of the operating budget, the capital improvements plan and the city's master fee schedule.
The vote to "establish the city millage rate at 17.442 mills for the 2025, 2026 budget year and to adopt the 2025, 2026 city budget, capital improvements plan, and master fee schedule as published" passed on a roll call. Council members voting in favor included Councilor DuBourg, Councilor Flock, Councilor Moore and Mayor Hamill (recorded on the roll call as "yes").
Why it matters: the appropriation and millage ordinances give the city legal authority to levy the tax rate and spend revenues as laid out in the budget. City staff said the council's adoption meets charter and statutory scheduling requirements and enables staff to make the year'ahead capital and operating commitments.
What council discussed: the meeting included a short public hearing on the budget where administration noted the adoption process and encouraged public participation. Following the hearing councilors moved and seconded the formal motion to adopt the budget and set the millage rate before undertaking the separate, charter-required appropriations ordinance reading and tax-levy ordinance second reading scheduled for May 22.
Votes at a glance: the council recorded the motion to adopt the 2025'26 budget and set the millage at 17.442 mills as passed by roll call with councilors recorded as voting "yes." The city scheduled the second reading, public hearing and adoption of the appropriations ordinance (Ord. No. 1303) and the tax levy ordinance (Ord. No. 1304) for a special meeting on May 22, 2025.
Next steps: the council scheduled the formal second readings and public hearings for the appropriations and tax-levy ordinances (to meet charter requirements) and will take up utility rate ordinances at later public hearings scheduled for June 2 and June 3 per the published calendar.
