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City outlines 2026 budget, proposes 7% levy increase and dedicated building‑fund additions
Summary
Finance staff presented a proposed 2026 budget showing a 7% property‑tax levy increase driven in part by a one‑time building‑fund levy and the full year effect of a SAFER grant; staff proposed designating $600,000 per year to smooth the eventual end of the SAFER grant and listed planned capital projects and new positions included in the proposal.
City finance staff presented the high points of the proposed 2026 budget, detailed drivers of the proposed property‑tax levy increase and described recommended designations to ease the transition when grant funding ends.
Staff said the proposed property‑tax levy for 2026 reflects a roughly 7% increase over 2025, driven partly by a recommended building‑fund levy and the full‑year effect of a SAFER grant that funds additional firefighters. Staff noted the proposed tax‑rate increase would still be lower than the 2009 levy rate and said the impact on a median‑value home (median value cited by staff) would be about $61 per year. "Our 2026 tax rate will still be lower than 2009 tax rate, which was 33.9," Speaker 6 said while outlining the rate charts.
Staff also proposed using a designated fund‑balance strategy to smooth the SA F ER grant cliff: set aside $600,000 in 2026, another $600,000 in 2027 and build to $1.8 million by 2028 to cover the firefighter positions if the grant is not renewed. Finance staff presented departmental revenue/expenditure snapshots showing general‑fund revenues increasing by roughly $3.1 million compared with the prior year and proposed general‑fund expenditures in the range described in the packet.
Capital highlights and staffing: staff outlined capital investments in the building fund, a central maintenance facility expansion and other CIP items, and recommended a small set of new hires (information‑technology specialist, facility technician and park maintenance positions) that together represent roughly $322,000 in personnel costs for the year as presented. Staff noted several requested positions were not included in the proposal and that adding all requested positions would raise the levy materially.
Next steps: staff said the budget will proceed to next steps in the council calendar, and additional CIP and rate discussions are planned before adoption. Council did not take an adoption vote at the work session; staff will bring the proposal forward at the public hearing and subsequent meetings.
