Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget 2026 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adds $750,000 refund to 2026 budget, fails to suspend rules; three finance ordinances adopted
Summary
Council amended the 2026 appropriations ordinance to account for an unexpected $750,000 tax refund linked to a net operating loss claim and debated suspending rules to expedite passage; the suspension failed to reach the required votes. Separately, council adopted ordinances on nonunion compensation and health‑insurance administration.
Council on Dec. 1 amended Ordinance 1‑20‑25 (appropriations for 2026) to reflect an increase in the auditor’s transfer and refunds line from $350,000 to $1,100,000 — an increase of roughly $750,000 described in discussion as a net operating loss (NOL) refund that had just come to the city’s attention.
Member Reisner moved the amendment and described the budget line change as “the situation is as it is,” noting the amount was discovered since the prior meeting. Council member Swank and others asked where the $750,000 would come from and whether it might require adjustments to staffing or departmental budgets. The mayor said the administration would work with the auditor to determine funding sources and provide that information to council before year‑end; council was told the law allows 90 days to make payment on a refund claim.
Following debate, a motion was made to suspend the rules and fast‑track final passage of the amended budget. Council members raised procedural and transparency concerns and noted two more scheduled meetings before the year‑end deadline. A roll‑call on the suspension produced a tie and the law director clarified that suspending certain rules or adopting amending language that departs from statutory or commission guidance can require a higher threshold; the motion to suspend the rules did not secure the votes required and therefore failed.
Despite that failure, council adopted three finance‑related ordinances on this agenda: Ordinance 1‑22‑25 (2026 non‑union compensation, emergency), Ordinance 1‑23‑25 (authorize the service safety director to contract with Employee Benefit Service Center as the city’s third‑party health insurance administrator), and Ordinance 1‑24‑25 (group excess loss medical insurance contract). Each of those measures passed on voice votes during the meeting.
Council also discussed Ordinance 1‑21‑25 (2026 staffing levels) in light of the refund question; the mayor said positions listed in the staffing ordinance are funded for 2026 as submitted but that retirements and later adjustments would be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis. Council asked the administration to bring specific funding and timeline information to the body as soon as possible.
What happens next: The budget ordinance with its amendment was read for first reading and remains scheduled for further readings; the administration will provide more detail to council about how the $750,000 refund affects the general fund and proposed 2026 staffing.
