Roseville Council adopts $82.8M budget, chooses franchise-fee scenario to lower property-tax jump

ROSEVILLE, Minn. — The Roseville City Council on Dec. 8 adopted a $82,818,474 budget for 2026 and set a tax levy under a package of measures that combine a modest franchise fee on gas and electric bills with targeted reallocation of existing levy dollars, council members said.

City Manager Pat Trojgan and Finance Director Michelle Petrick walked the council and the public through the components of the proposed budget and the three scenarios the city had discussed for funding new public-safety positions and ongoing capital needs. Trojgan said the base budget presented in August was about $81 million, with about $33 million of that funded by local property taxes, and that the city had proposed a preliminary 12% levy increase earlier in the process.

Why it matters: Many residents told the council the proposed increases were unaffordable. In response, council members weighed short-term pain against long-term capital needs and voted to adopt "Scenario 2," which staff said would implement franchise fees and reallocate existing levy dollars to shore up capital funds while reducing the property-tax increase to roughly 7.59% compared with the preliminary levy shown on mailed notices.

The key numbers and choices: City staff said the federal SAFER…