Libby council adopts $10.7 million expenditure budget and sets 2025 tax levy

The City of Libby held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and then adopted two resolutions that set the city’s spending plan and property tax levy for the coming year.

Following the presentation of revenue and expenditure charts and a review of recent grants and capital projects, the council moved to approve Resolution 2059, which fixes the annual appropriations for the 2025–26 budget year; the motion carried. The council then approved Resolution 2060, which sets the 2025 tax levy for real property in Libby and allocates funding for specific purposes including the lighting and street maintenance funds.

Budget highlights presented to the council included a general fund budgeted revenue figure of $1,000,563.02 (general fund components described in the presentation), a total expenditure budget of $10,714,098, and a total revenue budget of approximately $10,000,373.03. Staff noted payroll of about $2,053,414 (including taxes, benefits and estimated overtime), increases in utility and fuel costs, ongoing maintenance needs (including water tanks and sewer lift station work), and use of capital improvement planning and grant funds to avoid borrowing for several projects.

Councilors and members of the public spoke in support of the capital improvement plan and the staff’s grant‑seeking work. During the hearing DC Orr and others urged transparency on prior settlements and grant accounting; staff invited residents to meet with finance staff to review claims and budget details.

What the council approved: Resolution 2059 (annual appropriations) and Resolution 2060 (2025 tax levy) were both approved by voice vote during the meeting; no recorded roll‑call tallies tied to individual members appear in the transcript.