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Urbandale adopts $187 million FY2026–27 budget with modest tax shift after TIFF retirements
Summary
The Urbandale City Council approved the fiscal 2026–27 operating budget and related resolutions after a public hearing. Finance staff said the consolidated certified budget is $187 million and noted a net five‑cent levy reduction tied to TIFF retirements that yields roughly $31 lower annual property tax per $100,000 home.
The Urbandale City Council approved the fiscal 2026–27 operating budget and accompanying levy resolutions after a public hearing on the proposed plan.
Finance Director Nikki Lamb told the council the city’s consolidated certified budget that will be submitted to the state totals $187 million, an increase of about $4.4 million (2.4%). Lamb said the city’s “daily cost per capita” to operate Urbandale is about $3.71 per person per day, and that debt‑service obligations have fallen substantially because the city has used TIFF and other funds to retire bonds.
At the public hearing Lamb outlined a net five‑cent reduction in the total levy driven in part by debt‑service declines; the city estimated a cumulative savings of about $31 per $100,000 of home value after residential roll‑back and other adjustments. Lamb also described three proposed full‑time staff additions — in police, human resources and building maintenance — and noted no changes to other utility or consumption rates. Nikki Lamb said the certified budget submitted to the state will reflect all funds, including utilities and capital projects.
The council voted to close the public hearing and passed resolutions 134‑2026 and 135‑2026 to adopt the levy and budget as presented.
City officials said the budget reflects several years of paying down debt with urban renewal/XML (TIFF) receipts and that the resulting drop in debt service allows the council greater flexibility on operations going forward. Staff also highlighted the city’s website tools and taxpayer calculators for residents wanting to see individualized impacts.
The council’s formal action: adoption of the FY2026–27 budget and levy via resolutions 134‑2026 and 135‑2026. The operating plan will now be transmitted per state rules and incorporated into the city’s financial operations in the coming fiscal year.
