Kirksville council adopts $59.6 million FY2026 budget, cites capital projects and grants for sharp increase

Kirksville — The City Council on voice vote approved the fiscal year 2026 budget on second reading, adopting an estimated $59,588,578 spending plan for the city.

Finance Director Lacey King told the council the figure does not include interfund transfers and represents a 32.9% increase from the amended 2025 budget, a jump she attributed primarily to capital projects deferred from 2025 and to capital projects funded by grants. "Our total capital in this '26 budget" and the presence of capital grant projects, she said, explain much of the change.

Councilmembers praised staff for months of work preparing the budget and signaled support for the plan as presented. After brief discussion the council took a voice vote and approved the ordinance on second reading.

The council did not provide a roll-call tally in the meeting minutes; the motion carried by voice vote. The ordinance was identified in the meeting as Bill 2025-59 and was presented as the city's required annual appropriation and budget adoption action to be completed before Jan. 1.

Officials said the budget includes major capital spending and that specific capital project timing — not a sustained operating increase — accounts for most of the percentage increase. Details on line-item allocations and interfund transfers were available in the published budget document and the council packet.