City Manager Pat Trudgen presented three levy scenarios to the Roseville City Council on Oct. 27 showing how federal grant awards and possible franchise fees would affect the 2026 levy and median homeowner cost.

Trudgen said the city received a $3,900,000 SAFER grant and a $500,000 COPS grant and outlined how different assumptions and start dates for firefighter hires would change the tax impact. "We did receive the $3,900,000 SAFER grant and $500,000 for the COPS grant," Trudgen told the council.

Key choices presented: staff showed a baseline scenario that uses the grants without franchise fees (resulting in a roughly 10.8–11.5% blended levy increase, depending on hire start date); a scenario that uses franchise fees to shift capital dollars (reducing some operational pressure while stabilizing capital accounts — roughly 7–8% levy increase depending on start date); and a scenario that redirects more levy dollars to operations (resulting in a levy increase in the mid‑5% to mid‑13% range depending on assumptions). Trudgen used September 1 and April 15 as the two illustrative firefighter start dates; the April 15 start increases levy costs modestly but allows the city to use more of the federal grant period and helps recruitment competitiveness.

Council discussion: several councilmembers expressed support for the April 15 start date to be more competitive in firefighter hiring. Councilmember Bauer said earlier hiring could help recruiting because many departments are actively recruiting under SAFER funding. Councilmembers also discussed franchise fees — most neighboring cities use them — and asked staff for comparative analyses of who pays property taxes and how franchise fees would shift the burden across property types.

Next steps: staff said council was not being asked for a decision that evening; franchise‑fee ordinances and fee schedules are likely to return to council in November. Any direction from council on franchise fees would change the scenarios; staff will bring refined numbers back as part of subsequent levy and budget deliberations.