River Falls' City Council on Nov. 11 approved the city's 2026 budget, a $66,635,649 spending plan, and set a tax levy of $8,479,098.

"What you're being asked to approve is a budget totaling $66,635,649," Finance Director Josh Hollinger told the council during a staff presentation. Hollinger said the budget includes cash financing and borrowing for capital projects, most notably a planned roughly $7,000,000 borrowing for the new fire station, and increases capital and special-revenue funds tied to projects such as library foundation building improvements.

Hollinger framed the levy as a modest increase in gross levy terms and said it remains constrained by the state levy-limit program: "You're also being asked to approve a tax levy totaling $8,479,098," he said. He told the council that, after a community-wide revaluation, the proposed mill rate would be about $4.34 per $1,000 of assessed value and that the city-operations portion of the tax bill for an average home is roughly $50 less than the prior year when measured on the city operations line.

The council approved the ordinance on a roll-call vote following the public hearing. Mayor Dan Tull seconded the motion after Councilmember McDowney moved it; the clerk recorded all members voting yes.

Hollinger told the council the budget changes include a $12.8 million net increase across funds driven primarily by cash-financing and capital allocations for the fire station, roughly $2.4 million in special-revenue fund increases for library-related building improvements, and $9.3 million of increased capital funding for the fire station project. He also said the city's fund-balance policy (a minimum of 40% of the upcoming year's general fund budget; a 50% target) remains a guiding constraint.

Council discussion before the vote focused on how the cash financing affects long-term levy capacity and whether planned borrowings would be offset by user-fee revenues in utility-backed projects. Hollinger said some borrowing will be general obligation bonds with accompanying revenue sources for repayment and that financing decisions could be finalized early next year.

The ordinance takes effect as adopted and authorizes staff to implement the 2026 budget and levy as presented. The meeting record shows no further council amendments during the Nov. 11 vote.