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Council reviews FY27 budget and five-year CIP; debate centers on TIF balances and a $50 million rec center placeholder
Summary
Staff presented budget adjustments and a five-year CIP; council discussed Route 31 funding, Riverside streetscape funding mix, a proposed $50 million rec center placeholder, and TIF deficits. Staff will finalize the budget and return for a vote on April 20.
City staff presented updates to the FY27 budget and a five‑year capital investment plan (CIP) during a lengthy April 6 session, prompting extended questions about revenue sources, TIF balances and how a large recreation center project could be funded.
Finance staff said the FY27 budget includes a $1.4 million increase to account for Route 31 widening contract costs and a staffing change to convert a part‑time code enforcement officer to a full‑time position. The five‑year CIP shows an aggregated projection of roughly $104 million across departments, with many large line items appearing in outer years as planning placeholders.
Council questioned a $50 million placeholder for a recreation-center expansion in 2029 and pressed staff to clarify how such an investment could be financed without borrowing or a voter-approved revenue source. Staff said a project of that scale would likely require debt or a dedicated sales-tax increase and noted the $50 million figure is a planning placeholder rather than an approved program. "Without some sort of debt service or tax increase, I don't know how else you would do that," a staff member told the council.
Members also discussed TIF finances at length. Staff reported the downtown TIF fund will show a projected negative fund balance near $2 million by the end of FY27, driven by project timing and prior commitments; councilors debated whether TIF spending should be reined in to prioritize reimbursing the general fund or whether to proceed with planned streetscape and riverwalk projects supported by grants.
Other notable items: the Riverside Drive streetscape project will use a combination of TIF, grant funds and water/sewer underground-work allocations; the budget includes a $5 million buildout for Water Plant 5; and the council approved several smaller capital and equipment projects and business grants during the meeting.
