Brainerd council sets 2025 levy at 2% amid debate over $1,000 airport allocation

Brainerd City Council voted Dec. 16 to set the 2025 city levy at $7,098,160 — a 2% increase over last year — and to adopt the 2025 budgets after lengthened discussion about an airport allocation.

Finance Director Connie Hillman told the council the final levy must be certified to the county by Dec. 30 and that staff had modeled options, noting "the 2025 levy could be set at $6,984,091 or approximately a 0.36% increase over the 2024 levy," but that council direction had been to model a 2% increase. Hillman said the city could set the levy anywhere up to an 8% increase that was approved preliminarily in September.

The most contested element of the levy debate was a $1,000 line item for the Brainerd Airport. Councilmember Terry and others said $1,000 undermined the airport’s work; Councilmember Tiffany Siglak and others said the airport funding question deserved attention but that rejecting the overall levy would be a disproportionate response. Chairman Gabe Johnson framed the 2% increase as a compromise: "I think 2 is kind of a compromise ... it still gives us over a 110, almost $120,000 of unallocated fund balance," he said, arguing the amount would provide limited flexibility for unanticipated needs.

Council member roll call on the levy recorded Stuenich No; Terry No; Stanglien Yes; Johnson Yes; Cheshack Yes; O'Day Yes; Bevins No. The motion passed and council subsequently adopted the budgets as presented.

Council members said the adopted levy and budget aim to avoid sharp year-to-year swings while leaving modest reserves to respond to staffing or service needs in early 2025. Several council members signaled continued discussion about airport funding and personnel decisions during the new year.

The council scheduled no further immediate levy action; the levy and budgets will be certified per statutory deadlines.