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LAWA committee presents preliminary 2026 budget; board approves conservative baseline
Summary
The Finance Advisory Committee presented a conservative 2026 preliminary budget with approximately $540,000 of assumed expenses and a $250,000 line item identified for further allocation; the board approved the preliminary budget and staff will return with staffing-related cost shares.
The Finance Advisory Committee presented a preliminary 2026 budget for the Lake Agassiz Water Authority and the board approved the plan after committee recommendation.
Maureen Storstedt, City of Grand Forks finance director and Finance Advisory Committee co‑chair, briefed the board on a conservatively built preliminary budget reflecting estimated expenses of roughly $540,000 (legal, consultants, dues, operations) and noted a $250,000 line item for unresolved allocations. Grand Forks and Fargo currently carry much of the recent cost share burden and the committee recommended proportionate sharing of the outstanding $250,000 across users.
Storstedt said staff prepared assumptions for staffing and cost shares and that a separate attachment detailed how the $250,000 would break down by user proportion. The board moved, seconded and approved the preliminary budget in a roll-call vote.
Why it matters: The preliminary budget sets assumptions and spending ceilings for 2026 and informs decisions about staffing support, administrative spend, and the allocation of costs between large and small users.
What’s next: Staff will continue refining cost-share breakdowns and return with a short- and long-term staffing plan and final task orders for board approval.
Direct quote
"We have many unknowns as we work through this ... we believe the numbers were put together conservatively," Storstedt said of the preliminary budget.
Ending
The board approved the preliminary budget and asked staff to return with detailed staffing plans and cost-share calculations for final approval.
