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Council urged to rank $7.1M in CIP requests as staff readies levy numbers before Sept. 30 deadline
Summary
Councilors were asked to prioritize capital projects after staff presented a $7.1 million CIP packet and an LGA estimate of $4,521,314; staff committed to provide finalized operating and levy numbers ahead of the Sept. 29–30 preliminary-levy meetings.
At the Sept. 22 Crookston City budget workshop councilors and staff focused on the broader picture of capital improvements and the levy timeline, with staff saying the CIP packet contained roughly $7.1 million in requests across departments and asking council members to help prioritize projects by citywide need rather than department.
Staff provided a Local Government Aid estimate for 2026 of $4,521,314 and said operating revenues are in the order of $10 million, but cautioned that numbers are still being finalized. “We would really like to kind of know … and I know I'm off on those numbers. I will be open about that,” a staff speaker said, and pledged to get corrected totals to council before the next meetings.
Council discussion emphasized a needs-vs-wants framework: water, sewer, roads, police and fire were repeatedly highlighted as essential services; discretionary projects should be weighed against sustaining core services. Several councilors suggested ranking CIPs across departments and evaluating whether some positions could be left unfilled through attrition to preserve core functions.
Schedule and procedural notes: staff reiterated the timeline — nonprofit grant presentations on Sept. 24, a preliminary-levy workshop on Sept. 29 and a special council meeting to pass and certify the preliminary levy with the county on Sept. 30 (county deadline 11:59 p.m.). Staff committed to supply updated operating, CIP and levy figures in time for those meetings.
Outcome: the workshop produced no formal votes but generated clear direction for staff to supply corrected CIP totals, a prioritized list and levy scenarios for council review before certification. Councilors were urged to review materials over the weekend and be prepared to make preliminary decisions at the end-of-month sessions.
