Reno council directs staff to advance FY2026 tentative budget, raises appeal fee to $200 with waiver process

On Monday, May 5, the Reno City Council directed staff to advance a tentative $321 million fiscal year 2026 budget and accompanying fee schedule, approving a staff- recommended package and an adjustment to the appeal filing fee by unanimous vote.

The budget, presented by Vicki Van Buren, the city’s director of finance, uses about $9.5 million in one-time funding and carries roughly $16 million in program and service reductions to balance proposed appropriations. Council also approved raising the fee for filing a development appeal to $200 and asked staff to implement a waiver process for applicants who demonstrate financial hardship.

The vote followed a three-hour workshop in which staff outlined revenue constraints and proposed reductions. Van Buren said the tentative budget assumes slower revenue growth in sales and property taxes and relies on one-time monies to close a near-term gap: "We have $321,000,000 proposed for fiscal year 26. We have $9,500,000 in one-time funds proposed to balance it," she said.

City manager Jackie Bryant and department directors told council the package aims to preserve mission-critical services while limiting new hires. City staff proposed a targeted strategy of frozen or unfunded positions rather than blanket cuts; the list attached to the…