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Budget committee finalizes 2025–26 budget, tax rate and a slate of fee changes

3291343 · May 14, 2025

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Summary

Keizer’s budget committee on May 13 approved the city’s $74.884 million 2025–26 budget, set the permanent tax rate and adopted or amended multiple fee changes and spending decisions including a parks fee increase, a 1% water rate rise, a stormwater fee adjustment and a 10% police service fee increase (part-year funded from contingency).

The Keizer Budget Committee adopted the city’s fiscal 2025–26 budget at a special meeting May 13 and set the permanent property tax rate at $2.0838 per $1,000 of assessed value. Committee members also approved a number of fund-specific budgets, fee changes and transfers.

Key votes and outcomes (motions taken during the May 13 meeting): - Budget approval: Committee approved the full 2025–26 budget of $74,884,400 (voice vote after deliberations and amendments). Mover: Vice Chair Kyle Duran; second: Councilor Daniel Kohler. - Permanent tax rate: Committee approved setting the permanent rate at $2.0838 per $1,000 of assessed value (voice vote). Mover: Vice Chair Kyle Duran; second: Councilor Daniel Kohler. - Parks fee: Committee approved a 50-cent-per-month increase to the city’s parks fee (effective with the budget). The motion passed by recorded count after roll-call discussion (6 yes / 5 no). Mover for the successful amendment/motion: Councilor Susan London; second: Councilor Marlene Parsons. - Water system: Committee approved the water fund budget including a manager-recommended 1% rate increase (motion moved by Councilor Laurie Christopher; second by Councilor Marlene Parsons; voice vote: passed). - Water facility replacement fund: Approved (voice vote; moved by Councilor Laurie Christopher; second by Councilor Marlene Parsons). - Stormwater: Committee amended the manager’s proposed increase and approved a 3% stormwater fee increase, indexed to CPI, and directed staff to return with next steps; budget passed as amended (voice/show-of-hands vote; amendment moved by Councilor Laurie Christopher; second accepted). - Police service fee: Committee approved a 10% increase to the police service fee (to be effective Jan. 1, 2026) and directed the creation of a short task force to evaluate fee distribution across account types; the committee funded the department for FY2025–26 by drawing the remainder from contingency so the department’s budget is not reduced this year. The amendment to fund part-year cost from contingency passed and the police services fund budget passed subsequently (amendment/motion sequence in transcript). - Transient lodging (TOT) and event-related allocations: Committee amended the TOT budget to shift small program items (including a $2,900 move from the PEG fund for parade-related costs) and to add funding for chamber and heritage requests. Motion passed (mover: Councilor Christopher; second: Mayor Clark). - ARPA and PERS actions: Committee approved allocations for ARPA carryovers and authorized a plan for a short-term internal loan and a permanent financing approach to address the city’s PERS 457/retiree-account issues (FERS obligation fund creation and related transfers approved). - Other funds: Event Center, PEG (public education and government) fund, Keizer Youth Peer Court, housing rehabilitation revolving loan, energy-efficiency revolving loan, Keizer Station LID debt service and other routine funds were approved as presented (voice votes).

Where recorded tallies are available the article lists them above. Many routine fund votes were taken by voice or show-of-hands and recorded as passed in the transcript; where a roll call was used (parks fee) the committee recorded counts in the transcript. The committee made several amendments during the meeting; staff noted where contingency or ending fund balance would be used to hold budgets whole for the coming year.

What the votes mean: Together the votes set the city’s spending plan and the baseline tax rate for 2025–26, begin phased utility fee updates and preserve operations amid a projected general-fund shortfall by relying on reserves and vacancy savings in the near term. Committee members also directed staff to continue outreach and to form a task group to reexamine how certain fees (notably the police fee) are distributed among account types.

The transcript contains the full motions and who moved/seconded each item; the committee closed the meeting after passing the remaining standing funds and motions.