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Portage City staff present balanced 2026 budget with small levy dip; resident questions tax impact
Summary
City staff told a packed hearing the proposed 2026 budget is balanced, absorbs about $370,000 in cost pressures (including a 12.9% health‑insurance increase), and reduces the mill rate by 5¢; a resident asked why some taxpayers expect a much larger levy change.
Portage City held a public hearing Monday on its proposed 2026 municipal budget, where city staff summarized a plan they said balances ongoing revenues and expenses while absorbing about $370,000 in increased costs.
City staff told the hearing the budget prioritizes “being good fiscal stewards of a taxpayer dollar” and aims to keep expenditures in line with revenues to maintain a stable tax rate and services. “We want our expenditures to equal our revenues so we have a balanced budget,” the presenter said.
Why it matters: Staff said core services — police, fire, EMS, streets and libraries — are funded, but the budget uses internal reductions and operational changes to close a shortfall. Officials cited several cost pressures, including a 2% across‑the‑board wage increase and a 12.9% rise in health insurance premiums for…
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