Committee refers most 2026 budget ordinances and fee changes to full council; several items held for follow-up

The Finance & Personnel Committee on Oct. 29 referred a range of 2026 budget implementation files to the full Common Council, mostly "without recommendation," as part of the committee's standard budget-cycle practice.

Files referred include the salary ordinance, positions ordinance, street-lighting fee, local service charge, solid-waste charge, extra garbage cart fee, snow-and-ice cost-recovery charge, and the ordinance establishing the 2026 equivalent residential unit and stormwater rates. Committee staff and budget management briefed members that these referrals do not by themselves adopt the 2026 budget; the full council will consider the measures during budget-adoption proceedings.

A substitute ordinance to set a $20.26 vehicle registration fee (file 250871) was also referred to the council. Alderwoman Oliver Spiker moved to reconsider the file and recorded her opposition on the referral; the record was updated to reflect a "no" vote from a member who said they would be voting against the measure at council.

The committee held the proposed opioid-settlement expenditure file for additional work. Budget staff also noted the city's available room under the state's expenditure-restraint threshold is limited (approximately $8.1 million of headroom), and exceeding the limit would reduce state shared revenue by an estimated $10 million in the next cycle.

Most referred items will be considered by the full Common Council at the scheduled budget meetings in November; several files were held for additional committee review or to allow staff to provide clarifying information.