Price Council hears summer music lineup and reviews tentative FY2026 budget; no budget action taken

Price City Council heard a presentation of the tentative fiscal 2026 budget and a detailed preview of the 2025 summer music schedule at its May 14 meeting. No formal action was taken on the budget; the council will review and adopt the budget in subsequent hearings.

Ted Hinkley, a concert promoter and event organizer, described the summer music lineup that will bring acts from across Utah and the country to Carbon County and Price. Hinkley said his booking strategy balances higher-cost headline acts (he referenced a Fleetwood Mac tribute show on the schedule) with lower-cost performers so the overall series stays within budget. He said he typically books 40'-50 shows a year and has longstanding relationships that make Price an attractive stop.

Hinkley emphasized Thursday-night scheduling as a deliberate choice to draw higher-quality talent without competing with weekend events. He said keeping the series on Thursdays helps secure better bands because it avoids Saturday conflicts and makes it easier for touring acts to include Price on weekday routing. Hinkley also noted outreach to larger presenters such as the Utah Symphony and suggested stage/backdrop considerations if a touring symphony program performs in the city.

On the budget, a city finance staff member identified as Lisa presented the tentative FY2026 budget book and noted the council would not take action that night. "You won't take any action on this tonight. This is just, like we talked about in our workshop meeting. Just a compilation of the book of the tentative budget for fiscal year 2026," Lisa said. She told the council staff and supervisors had prepared funding requests for employee costs, operating and maintenance expenses, and capital projects; staff will work to balance requests and bring the budget back for formal adoption and public hearings.

Why it matters: The music series is a cultural and economic effort to make Price and Carbon County a more livable and attractive place, potentially drawing visitors and boosting local businesses. The tentative budget frames city spending priorities for the coming year and will determine how the city pays for operations, maintenance and capital projects, including the equipment purchases the council later approved.

Details from the presentations: - Music series: Hinkley described a mix of national and regional acts, including touring tribute and cover bands; he said the program aims to provide a variety of genres so "there's something for everybody." He reported distributing the summer schedule for Carbon County and Price and highlighted efforts to improve the series' reputation and talent pool. - Budget: Staff said the tentative budget consolidates supervisor requests for staffing, operations and capital equipment. Staff asked the council to review the book over the next two weeks so a balanced tentative budget can be placed on a subsequent agenda for adoption and public hearings.

Public comment at the meeting included resident remarks unrelated to the music program or budget; no public testimony amended the budget presentation. The council continues budget deliberations in workshop settings and will schedule formal budget hearings before adoption.