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Lewistown adopts FY2025–26 budget and approves mill-levy increases, adding monthly reconciliation requirement
Summary
The Lewistown City Commission approved final budgets and a permissive mill-levy increase to fund rising employee health premiums, and adopted the annual tax levy; commissioners required monthly budget vs. actual and cash-reconciliation reports for the coming months.
The City of Lewistown commission on Tuesday approved the city’s FY2025–26 final budget and a set of tax-levy measures including a permissive mill levy to cover increases in employer contributions for employee group health benefits.
City manager Holly Dobbs presented the proposed budgets and detailed revenues and expenditures. Dobbs said the permissive mill levy to cover increased employer premium contributions totals about $214,006.73 and was reported as 27.76 mills (a mil amount exempt from the city’s levy cap under state law). Dobbs illustrated the homeowner impact examples used in staff materials: the permissive health mill would add about $9.17 a year for a home valued at $100,000, and the combined general-fund mills discussed in the packet would increase tax liability by roughly $50.34 for a $100,000 home (staff noted values and examples are dependent on certified valuations).
Commissioners discussed large capital projects driving higher proposed expenditures — staff noted approximately $4 million in construction-related proposed spending tied to water/wastewater and street projects — and questioned reserve and receivable amounts flagged in the packet. Dobbs said several funds show negative “cash available” temporarily because the city is awaiting reimbursements or state grant payments and that auditors will review those matters in September.
Commissioner Robertson moved to approve resolution 4205 (final budgets, budget authorities and appropriations) with added language requiring monthly reconciliation and budget-vs.-actual reports for revenues, expenditures and certain clearing accounts; the motion passed on roll call. The commission then held and closed a public hearing and approved resolution 4206 (permissive mill levy for employee health premiums) and resolution 4207 (annual tax levy in mills) by roll call votes.
What’s next: Staff will provide monthly cash reconciliations, payroll-clearing account reviews and budget versus actual reports to the commission for the coming months and will coordinate the auditor’s review scheduled in September. The commission’s actions set the FY2025–26 appropriation ceilings and adopt the tax levies to support the budget.
