Roosevelt council adopts $11.2M FY2026 general-fund budget, OKs capital additions and community stipends

Roosevelt City Council on Monday approved its fiscal year 2026 budget, voting unanimously to adopt the $11.2 million general-fund plan and related capital allocations after a public hearing with no speakers.

City staff presented the final proposed budget and line-item summary, showing a general-fund subtotal of about $10.9 million, a $293,400 transfer to debt service and enterprise totals that bring the overall city budget to roughly $37.35 million across water, sewer and sanitation funds. The council approved added allocations discussed during the meeting, including an $80,000 increase for airport building renovations, funds for planning-and-zoning and Arts, Parks & Rec (APR) stipends, and a roof replacement and sewer-field fencing in the capital plan.

Staff member Zeke told the council the airport allocation is intended to fix the lobby and exterior of a city-owned hangar building that does not qualify for FAA grant matching. He also explained small adjustments to close out fiscal 2025, including a one-time correction to an annual Tyler software payment to avoid late billing and an increase in sanitation contract expenses to cover higher pickup costs. On sanitation, the council directed staff to verify revenue collected vs. expenses before final reconciliation.

Council members discussed APR and planning-and-zoning stipends: the council asked staff to allocate a $15,000 APR pool and consider $6,500 per APR subcommittee plus a $50-per-meeting stipend, and they discussed budgeting $5,000 annually to support planning-and-zoning members who may need more frequent or emergency meetings. The council agreed to finalize stipend amounts at a subsequent meeting but included preliminary allocations in the approved budget.

The council also reviewed a number of capital projects added to the plan: an approximate $290,000 roof replacement for the admin building (both membrane and shingle sides) and a $75,000 fence around a sewer field; staff said much of the larger capital spending will be covered by grant funds and year-to-year carryover, leaving a smaller city-funded share in place.

The adoption follows the council’s hearing and a unanimous vote to pass the final FY2026 budget. The council also approved a separate reopened FY2025 adjustment earlier in the meeting, contingent on staff verification of sanitation revenues.

The council will consider finalizing APR and planning-and-zoning stipend amounts at an upcoming meeting and will publish budget documents and line-item details in the city packet following the clerk’s posting.