Covington Council adopts 2026 budget, approves ordinances and budget amendments
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Summary
The Covington City Council on Nov. 4 adopted the 2026 operating budget and five-year capital plan, approved a mayoral compensation ordinance, a rezoning to regional commercial, and a 2025 budget amendment that records a $423,000 DOTD payout and funds downtown sewer repairs.
The Covington City Council adopted the city's 2026 operating budget and five-year capital outlay plan (2026'2030) during its Nov. 4 meeting, after council members considered a last-minute set of administrative amendments that had been provided to members before the vote.
Council President thanked administration and department heads, saying the process was "one of the most streamlined" the council has seen and praised staff access during deliberations.
The council also took these formal actions:
- Adopted an ordinance setting the mayor's compensation for 2026. The public hearing on the item drew no public comment; the ordinance passed on roll call with one recorded no vote (Councilman Lewis).
- Approved a zoning map amendment (zoning case 25-09-08ZC) rezoning two Connolly addition lots from neighborhood commercial to regional commercial to allow a long-established local flooring business to expand.
- Adopted a 2025 budget amendment that records $423,000 of intergovernmental revenue from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) for the city's acceptance of maintenance responsibility for a portion of 30 First Avenue, shifted a small utility vehicle purchase into the 2025 budget, and added approximately $72,000 to address sewer defects discovered during smoke testing tied to the downtown overlay project.
Votes and motions were recorded by roll call; the transcript shows the budget adoption and the budget amendment votes carried on the council floor. The rezoning vote passed unanimously. No additional public comments changed the decisions; the council moved on to district reports and community announcements.
