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Brooklyn Park budget preview: staff outlines assumptions, council signals desire to limit levy increase
Summary
Finance staff outlined preliminary 2026 budget drivers — COLA, health insurance increases, new positions, and proposed debt for a fire station — producing a draft levy increase near 12.5% before policy choices; several council members said they prefer keeping any levy under 10%, with many favoring 8–9%.
Finance Director Latonya Green presented a preliminary look at the 2026 budget and asked the council for guidance on an acceptable levy target.
Director Green listed key drivers: estimated cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) of about 3%, step increases, a projected 17.4% increase in health insurance costs, recently authorized firefighter positions, ongoing chargeback increases for fleet/IT, and debt service tied to a proposed fire station. Green included a working assumption of roughly $22.75 million in bond issuance related to capital needs, and said the total preliminary levy increase calculated from those assumptions was about 12.5%.
Council members reacted cautiously. Several said they understand the city’s service needs but urged restraint: a number of council members said they want any proposed levy increase to stay under 10% (several suggested 8–9% or even closer to 7%). Council directed staff to return with departmental scenarios that show service‑level reductions and options to reach lower levy targets, and asked for clearer, resident-facing communications that explain the components of the tax bill (city versus county/school shares).
Director Green also noted a HUD pass‑through grant of approximately $4 million that would offset some bonding for a listed project; she cautioned that capital and debt‑service timing will affect the first levy impact year.
Next steps: staff will prepare trimmed budget scenarios corresponding to council target ranges, provide department-level reduction options, and return with clearer levy breakouts and resident communications ahead of certificiation deadlines.
