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Council hears FY2025–26 budget update; staff says restoring tax rate could yield about $60,000
Summary
Staff presented a tentative FY2025–26 budget and a chart of tax base vs. new growth; restoring the tax rate to a prior level could generate roughly $60,000, prompting council debate and a proposed public hearing for early June.
City staff presented a tentative FY2025–26 budget update May 21 that included a chart of tax base, new growth and historical tax-rate changes from 2012 to 2024.
Staff noted that restoring the tax rate to a level used in 2022–23 could bring in roughly $60,000 in additional revenue and explained the mechanics: holding the tax rate keeps a property owner’s tax bill constant even as valuation changes. A presenter said returning to earlier rates could be advertised as a percent increase under truth‑in‑taxation rules and highlighted trade-offs between 'playing catch-up' to recover forgone revenue and holding the rate to avoid raising taxes.
Council members discussed competing priorities for the additional revenue, including police staffing and capital projects. Staff outlined possible cuts in the irrigation fund—reducing a meter-replacement reserve from $75,000 to $60,000 and trimming $10,000 for share purchases—to save $25,000, and reported the police department had identified roughly $10,000 in savings.
Staff recommended scheduling a public hearing early in June (June 1 was suggested) to comply with county/state notification deadlines for truth-in-taxation procedures; council agreed to the proposed timing.
