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Royal Oak city manager previews fiscal 2026 budget, urges millage capacity change and targeted capital investments
Summary
City Manager Joe Gautra presented the draft fiscal 2026 budget, highlighting capital priorities, proposed transfers of ARPA funds to downtown projects, a recommended $25 million water bond, and a recommendation to seek a charter amendment to increase public safety millage capacity to 6 mills.
City Manager Joe Gautra presented the Royal Oak draft fiscal 2026 budget on May 19, 2025, laying out revenue trends, capital priorities and department requests while flagging pressures in public safety spending and lead-line replacement mandates.
Gautra said the general fund has faced constrained revenue trends while public safety costs have risen substantially; he illustrated a jump in police costs from roughly $20 million to an estimated $27 million in the coming year. To address infrastructure needs, Gautra proposed issuing approximately $25 million in water bonds to coordinate water-line replacements with the city’s road program so the city does not have to dig up recently repaved streets in short order.
On ARPA and downtown investments, the city…
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