West Bend BID reviews 2026 operating plan; keeps $10,000 marketing budget, adds small decoration and plant funding

The West Bend City Business Improvement District Board met in a special session Tuesday, Aug. 26, to continue a review of the BIDs draft operating plan for 2026, including marketing, holiday lighting and decorations, facade grants, landscaping, and water-metered irrigation previously assigned to the BID.

The meeting focused on how the BID will allocate roughly $113,000 to $114,000 in assessment revenue next year and where limited undesignated reserves should be used. "Our estimate is working with about a $113,000," said the staff member presenting the budget breakdown, who led the meeting's detailed review.

Why this matters: The BID budget funds downtown maintenance, decorations, small grants to businesses and nonprofit partners, and programs intended to attract visitors and customers. Board decisions on the marketing line, decorative lighting and small grants affect how the district presents itself and how scarce reserve funds are used.

Board discussion and near-term decisions

Board members and staff discussed several line items in detail. The board indicated it wants to keep the marketing budget at $10,000 for 2026; the presenter said about $1,000 of this year's $10,000 had already been spent. Board members said they want clearer objectives for how that marketing money would be used…