Brighton Council adopts $279.7 million 2026 budget, keeps mill levy at 6.65 mills

Brighton City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to adopt a $279,681,910 budget for fiscal year 2026, a package that city staff said preserves core services while funding major capital projects including a water treatment plant and a new RecPlex.

City Manager Martinez and the budget team opened the public hearing, with Budget and Innovation Director Catherine Mortensen and staff outlining highlights: more than $5 million in identified grant funding, 11 new positions for the water treatment plant and the RecPlex, a full renovation estimate for a proposed police building of $3.9 million, and recent adjustments since the proposed budget including a $577,000 correction in the wastewater fund and $316,000 in recently approved grant allocations. Staff said an additional $400,000 was added for continued water service-line investigations after finding one lead service line.

The council closed the public hearing and approved the main budget resolution (Item 7A) on a roll-call vote of 8-0. Council then approved the mill levy resolution (Item 7B) setting the levy at 6.65 mills for 2026, which staff estimated would generate about $6.2 million for the city. Multiple councilmembers emphasized that Brighton has not raised the mill levy rate in two decades and that higher bills for some property owners reflect rising assessed values rather than a change in the local rate.

Council also approved several budget-related resolutions that will affect implementation: a lodging tax usage resolution authorizing use of $250,000 of lodging tax reserves to support moving the Brighton City Museum to the historic 1886 Church; a donations-public-purpose resolution authorizing budgeted operating support to specified nonprofit grantees; and an updated fee resolution that adds or revises user fees, including a grant-funded microtransit pilot with a $2 base fare (additional accompanying users $1) and discounted fares for seniors, teens and veterans.

Council debated a fee question about whether dumpster permit fees applied to residential users; staff said the fee language did not exclude residential users, and the fee resolution (Item 7C) passed 6-2. The main budget and the other resolutions were approved without amendment. City staff noted that some capital projects are financed with recent debt issuances and that as large projects complete, the general fund share of total expenses is expected to increase again.

The council will publish adopted budget documents and a schedule for implementation; staff said some carryover amounts will appear in the city’s first budget amendment early next year.