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Council hears FY2026 budget options; gives guidance to set not-to-exceed tax rate at 82'cents
Summary
City staff presented three FY2026 general-fund scenarios tied to 78, 80 and 82 cents per $100 of assessed value. Councilors gave consensus guidance to advertise a not-to-exceed real-property tax rate of 82 cents while staff continues analysis. Winchester Public Schools reduced its funding request after a 0% health insurance increase.
City staff presented three budget scenarios for FY2026 and sought direction on the city's not-to-exceed real-property tax rate; councilors gave consensus guidance to set the advertised not-to-exceed rate at 82 cents per $100 of assessed value.
City Manager Dan Hoffman told council the three scenarios correspond to tax rates of 78, 80 and 82 cents and that the revenue increases under those options would be roughly 1.1%, just under 3%, and about 3.9%, respectively. Hoffman said the proposed budget includes a $6.5 million increase over the current year and that some unavoidable costs (software maintenance, fuel, landfill fees, and other contracted services) drive much of that increase.
Hoffman summarized programmatic differences across the three options: the 80- and 82-cent scenarios would fund additional police officers (two in the higher scenarios, one…
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