Mount Vernon finance director outlines $93.1 million in 2026 revenue and describes levy lid lift that would add about $4.5 million
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Summary
At a Nov. 12 public hearing, Finance Director Doug Boleski presented a $93,131,965 estimated total city revenue for 2026, described a levy lid lift that would raise roughly $4.5 million and move the levy rate to about 2.2537, and answered council questions about allocations and timing.
Doug Boleski, Mount Vernon’s finance director, told the City Council on Nov. 12 that the city’s estimated total revenue for 2026 across all funds is $93,131,965.
Boleski said taxes make up the largest portion of that total, with estimated tax revenue of $39,715,007, and that charges for services account for roughly 34% of city revenues. He described the proposed 2026 package as including a levy lid lift that would increase the city’s levy collections by about $4,500,000 and move the levy rate to roughly 2.2537, yielding an estimated levy amount just over $14 million.
Why it matters: Boleski said the revenue projection supports a governmental operating budget that includes general fund services, parks and recreation, public works and the library, and he framed the levy lid lift as the primary driver of the larger tax total presented to the council.
Details and caveats: Boleski presented several charts and trend lines showing assessed value growth, historical levy rates and sales-tax performance. He said the city’s 2026 governmental operating funds budget is projected at about $51,680,000 and that sales tax is projected near $10,000,000. He cautioned that the figures are preliminary and subject to county adjustments to assessed values and other finalizations: “First of all, these numbers are not finalized because the county still are gonna make some adjustments for their assessed values,” he said.
On new state funding, Boleski referenced House Bill 215 as a public safety enhancement measure that would create a local government funding stream; the city expects about $650,000 beginning in the second quarter if the state distribution moves forward and the city participates as projected.
Council members asked whether marijuana excise revenues are earmarked for public safety. Boleski said those receipts are placed in the general fund and allocated based on population and state distribution formulas rather than being automatically dedicated to public safety.
Public response: During community comments and the public hearing, resident Ed Johnson said property values had risen sharply and warned that increasing tax bills are a burden for seniors on fixed incomes. “These taxes are going up and up and up … I am on limited income,” Johnson said.
Next steps: Council closed the hearing and noted state law requires a second hearing; Boleski confirmed a follow-up public hearing on the budget is scheduled for next Wednesday. No levy action was taken at the Nov. 12 meeting.
