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Willard council adopts FY26 budget, flags water/sewer shortfalls and ambulance funding
Summary
Willard City Council approved resolution 25-09 adopting the FY26 budget while directing staff to work in a near-term work session to refine emergency-service fees and water/sewer rate options after officials warned enterprise funds lack reserves for major repairs.
Willard City Council voted to adopt the citys fiscal year 2026 budget on June 12, 2025 after a brief public hearing and council debate over revenues and service costs. The resolution (25-09) passed following a motion to approve the budget while committing the council to a work session within the next week to refine user-fee assumptions and fee structures tied to an ambulance-service plan.
Council members and finance staff said the water and sewer enterprise funds have little cash on hand for major repairs and are covering depreciation without building reserves. City finance staff explained that depreciation is expensed ratably and that current user fees largely cover cash obligations but not accumulated depreciation—leaving the city vulnerable to large repair bills. A staff presentation recommended considering a mechanism to increase rates annually (for example, an ordinance that ties rate adjustments to an inflation measure with a periodic reauthorization) so the utility funds can build replacement reserves.
The council also discussed a proposed local ambulance service. Staff and council members said the FY26 budget assumes user-fee revenue of roughly $186,000 to cover the ambulance and building costs (plus a $10,000 fee-study line). Separately, conversations with the county and South Willard were reported as ongoing to determine realistic reimbursements for services to county residents; the mayor noted the countys current payment of $3,500 was “highly inadequate” for the services provided.
Councilmembers debated whether to delay final adoption pending additional work, or to pass the budget now and then refine fees and emergency-service financing in follow-up work sessions. The council approved the budget and directed staff to schedule a work session to explore options including an emergency-services fee and possible user-fee adjustments. The record in the transcript does not include a roll-call tally for the budget vote; the mayor announced the motion carried.
