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Chaska lays out proposed 2026 budget and levy; council schedules final vote Dec. 15
Summary
City staff presented the proposed 2026 budget and a draft levy that would raise the general and EDA levy to $23,995,562. Council opened the Truth-in-Taxation hearing, heard no in-person public comments, discussed the building-improvement program and public-safety investments, and voted to close the hearing and consider final adoption Dec. 15.
City of Chaska staff on Monday presented the proposed 2026 budget and levy, telling the council the draft general and EDA levy would total $23,995,562 and that the operational levy increase—combining expenditure inflation and new growth—would be about 7.54 percent.
Matt (city staff presenter) said the community’s total market value rose about 7.51 percent year over year, with roughly 4.1 percentage points coming from new construction. He said those growth figures help shift some of the tax burden away from existing homeowners and that the city’s general fund stood at roughly $7 million (about 33 percent of the general fund) after the 2024 audit, short of the council’s 40 percent reserve target.
The presentation framed the levy request as the fourth and final year of a multiyear building-improvement program and included continued funding for a million‑dollar capital asset maintenance program. Matt described key 2026 projects as repaving Bavaria Road and routine trail resurfacing, and outlined a planned 24/7 overnight firefighter duty crew tied to the new Public Safety Building.
Mayor Hubbard opened the Truth-in-Taxation public hearing at 8:14 p.m.; no members of the public spoke in person and staff reported no Zoom commenters. Council members then gave brief reflections. Council Member 2 said she understood the burden on residents and pledged to weigh the impact of any levy increase carefully; Council Member 5 called the proposal "fair" and said it was necessary to maintain services and facilities.
Staff stressed that no final action would be taken at Monday’s meeting. Council Member Hatfield moved to close the public hearing and set Dec. 15, 2025 as the date to consider adoption of the 2026 budget and final levy; the motion carried by vote.
The proposed numbers staff presented included an estimated homeowner impact: for a median-valued home (2025 median $410,400), city taxes payable in 2026 would increase by about $172 a year (roughly $14.33 a month), or approximately an 11.22 percent increase from the prior year’s city portion. Officials said the amount is split between a baseline service portion and the building-improvement program portion.
Council will return Dec. 15 for the formal vote to adopt budgets and levies for all funds. Until then, staff said it will accept feedback and finalize technical numbers for the council’s consideration.
