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City presents 2026 budget preview; council and staff weigh police radio replacement options
Summary
City staff presented a preliminary 2026 budget that trims general-fund spending as one-time capital projects finish, highlights rising public defender and CRESSA costs, and proposes modest utility rate increases. Council and staff spent substantial time discussing end-of-life police radios, grant timing and procurement constraints and authorized a
Megan, a city finance staff member, presented a preliminary budget overview as part of a work session Oct. 20, outlining changes proposed for the 2026 fiscal year. She said the general fund is projected to decrease roughly 7.2 percent from last year mostly because several capital projects funded in 2025 are not carried forward in full into 2026. The presentation identified specific cost increases including an additional $160,000 to cover rising public defender expenses and a roughly 26% increase in CRESSA insurance assessments. Megan noted, “we had to increase those costs or price per case that we pay” to keep public defender pay “at market.”
The presentation also highlighted modest insurance rate changes: a 3% decrease in the WCIA liability assessment and a 1% increase in property coverage. Capital items carried into 2026 include a downtown storefront improvement grant ($50,000) and a…
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