Robinson schedules adoption vote after public hearings on budget and proposed tax increase

Robinson’s City Council voted to set a meeting next Tuesday to adopt a proposed tax rate after holding public hearings on the tax and the fiscal 2025–26 budget. City staff said most of the proposed increase is to cover new debt service tied to certificates of obligation, while the operating portion of the tax rate would decline slightly.

At the public hearing the council reviewed the truth-in-taxation calculations used to set statutory notice rates. City Manager Craig summarized the staff calculations: the no-new-revenue rate was stated as 44.3426¢, the voter-approval rate as 53.9732¢, and the de minimis rate at 53.9667¢. The budget presented by staff used a proposed rate of 50.9937¢. Craig told the council and public the council had earlier set a higher maximum rate to preserve flexibility but that the budget-backed proposed rate was lower.

Craig tied the proposed increase largely to recently issued debt: "Council issued $33,000,000 in certificates of obligation," he said, with $25,000,000 supported by taxes and roughly $2.5 million earmarked for a ladder truck and about $22.5 million for street reclamation and reconstruction. He said the city’s debt service fund projection rose to $3,313,085 (a 47.5% increase) primarily to cover the tax-supported portion of those COs. By fund, staff reported a proposed general-fund budget of $10,414,766 (a 5.2% increase) and a utility fund of $11,910,111 (a 3.6% increase).

A resident who spoke during the tax hearing said rising property values and repeated tax increases are a burden on homeowners. "It seems like taxes continue to go up," the resident told the council, asking when taxpayers would see relief. In response, council members said the tax change would fund decades of deferred street maintenance and understaffing in public works. The meeting chair described an illustrative residential impact: "I felt like for sure that the $200 average increase for a household that had a house at $350,000 … this is the only way we can get past the street problem in Robinson," the chair said.

Councilmembers urged residents to review meeting materials or watch council meetings online to follow detailed budget discussions. Several council members noted efforts to attract new business but emphasized that poor road conditions and limited staffing had deterred some development.

After the hearing the council moved to set a meeting next Tuesday to adopt the tax rate and to continue budget deliberations; the public hearing for final adoption was announced for Tuesday, 08/26/2025. The council also said there will be a subsequent public hearing and formal adoption on the budget at a later meeting.

What happens next: the council will hold the adoption meeting next Tuesday (previously announced by the chair) where it may adopt final budget and tax-rate ordinances. Citizens interested in the details were invited to attend the next meeting or review the posted budget worksheets.