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Waite Park council adopts $14.19M general fund budget, sets 2026 levy at $12.84M
Summary
The Waite Park City Council approved the final 2026 general fund budget of $14,191,506 and set the 2026 tax levy at $12,843,200; the council also approved a schedule for 2026 gambling-donation disbursements. The levy must be certified to the county by Dec. 31, 2025.
Waite Park staff recommended the city adopt a $14,191,506 general fund budget for 2026 and set the 2026 tax levy at $12,843,200, and the city council voted to approve both on Dec. 15.
The recommendation came from a city staff presentation that included the proposed general and special fund budgets, staffing plans, capital improvement plans and the city's goals for 2026. "The final, general fund budget is recommended to be set now at, $14,191,506," staff told the council during the presentation. Council members moved and seconded the adoption of the budget and the motion carried.
The council also approved the tax-levy resolution to be certified to the county by Dec. 31, 2025. Staff emphasized the timing requirement: the levy must be certified to the county by year-end to meet state/county deadlines.
As part of the same packet item, the council reviewed 2026 gambling-donation requests. Staff recommended approving the presented list and noted distributions will be made based on available funds and the timing of past payments to the organizations. "The donations will be dispersed based on funds available as well as the timing of when they were paid in previous years to the respective organizations," staff said. The council voted to approve the gambling-donation recommendations.
What happens next: the tax levy resolution will be certified to the county by Dec. 31, 2025, and staff will disperse gambling donations in 2026 subject to available funds and timing.
Votes and actions recorded at the meeting include formal adoption of the 2026 general/special fund budgets, adoption of the 2026 tax-levy resolution, and approval of the 2026 gambling-donation list.
