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Housing authority requests full statutory levy, outlines development and rehab work
Summary
The housing authority presented a 2026 levy request equal to the maximum allowed by state statute (reported maximum $227,866) and described planned infill units, rehab programs, a $600,000 infrastructure grant request, and the addition of 34–40 state housing vouchers; councilors asked for detail on historical levy choices and county workload impacts.
The city’s housing authority presented its 2026 levy request to the Personnel & Finance Committee on Sept. 2, asking the council to fund the full statutory levy amount and outlining several housing initiatives.
The presenter said that under state statute the maximum levy is 0.185% of the previous year’s estimated market value and cited a maximum dollar figure of $227,866 for 2026. The housing authority’s packet requests funding equal to 100% of that allowable levy and summarized work underway: pursuing roughly 18 housing units on two city‑owned outlots in the Brainerd Oaks area with private developer participation, running a small cities development program with six of eight owner‑occupied rehabs complete and several rental‑unit rehab awards, pursuing a $600,000 infrastructure grant tied to Washington Street reconstruction, and preparing for an expected 34–40 additional state housing vouchers to be distributed across the county.
Council members asked for clarification on why the housing authority had historically levied below the maximum and raised concerns that county work contracted through the housing authority consumes a large share of senior staff time (leaving the city portion as “what’s left over”). Members suggested staff bring more detailed financial and workload information upstairs to the full council for a final decision.
Next steps: staff will send the housing authority levy request and supporting materials to the council and provide additional detail about workload allocations between city and county responsibilities.
