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Westminster council gives first reading to FY2026 budget; amends to include consultant sewer rate design
Summary
Council held a lengthy first reading of the FY2026 budget, discussed health insurance and COLA, and amended the ordinance to incorporate sewer rate restructuring proposed by Rattellus; staff will return revised numbers at second reading June 17.
The Westminster City Council held the first reading of the FY2026 budget on May 13 and amended the ordinance to incorporate a consultant-proposed sewer rate structure.
City staff presented a roughly $25.3 million total budget and told council of two late developments: a 4.6% employer-side health insurance increase announced May 8 and the Rattellus wastewater rate study presented earlier in the meeting. The health-insurance change increases the city's employer cost by approximately $11,357, city staff said; staff proposed to absorb that cost by drawing down "payroll adjustment" contingency lines rather than increasing the COLA.
On compensation, staff proposed a 3% cost-of-living adjustment. Council discussed alternatives and asked staff to minimize cuts elsewhere; staff urged protecting the employee increases to reduce turnover in public safety and utilities.
The mayor asked about a 1-mill tax cut scenario. Staff said "1 mill is roughly $7,400" and offered a balanced scenario that reduces property-tax revenue and offsets the cut mainly by reducing the general-fund payroll-adjustment line and the code-abatement line. Staff warned such cuts would limit available funds for retention and payroll adjustments.
After discussion the council voted to amend the budget first reading to "include the Rattellus rate structure presentation," a direction staff said they will use to update the utility fund numbers for second reading. The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 17; staff will publish the advertised numbers in advance of that hearing.
Ending: The council approved the amended first-reading ordinance and asked staff to return a revised budget and the consultant-designed sewer rates for formal adoption at second reading.
