Fergus Falls City administrator presents 2025 annual report; tax‑levy increase held to 1.85%

City Administrator Andrew delivered an informal annual report to the Fergus Falls City Council, summarizing 2025 operations and previewing a busy 2026 construction and service year, and said the full report is posted on the city website. He emphasized that the presentation was informational and required no council action.

Andrew said the tax‑levy committee worked to shrink a preliminary 8.13% levy increase to a final 1.85% and cited an $8.7 million levy within a $56.5 million city budget. "We hosted 74 meetings with all of you in 2025," he said, describing extensive council orientation, special meetings and retreats.

The report covered department‑by‑department metrics and notable investments. In finance, Andrew credited the transition from the city’s legacy AS400 system to a new finance/IT platform and congratulated Finance Director Bill Sonour and staff for receiving the Government Finance Officers Association certificate of excellence for the 34th consecutive year. On staffing, he reported 115 new or returning hires in 2025 (seven were full‑time) and four retirements across city departments.

Public safety and services were highlighted. The fire department absorbed emergency‑management duties after a retirement, added four personnel in 2025 and ordered a new ladder truck (more than $2 million). The police department, introduced by Andrew as led by Chief Justin Paul, re‑established a K9 program, expanded drone use and reported about 515 arrests, 405 citations and nearly 12,000 calls for service in 2025.

Utility operations and waste treatment drew attention: Andrew reported the water plant delivered 371 million gallons of drinking water in 2025 and the wastewater plant treated more than 500 million gallons (including roughly 2.1 million gallons from outside sources). He also said 1.7 million gallons of biosolids were land applied in 2025. On solid waste, the city reported 8,360 tons of garbage and roughly 970 tons of combined recycling in 2025, and staff plan a demo‑cell expansion at the landfill in 2026.

Community amenities showed heavy use: the public library recorded roughly 135,000 patron visits and nearly 200,000 physical circulations; the newly opened aquatic center had a strong first season; the golf course logged more than 25,000 rounds; and city liquor stores processed about 240,000 transactions and roughly $8 million in gross sales — profits that Andrew said are returned to reduce property taxes.

Council members asked follow‑up questions during a 20‑minute Q&A. On safety incidents, a staff respondent identified as Laurel said numbers were about the same as the prior year and up slightly versus five years ago, while the department’s mod factor — which affects workers‑compensation rates — has fallen over three years. On office space vacated by engineering outsourcing and the building department move, Andrew said options (including a new internal meeting room that could double as a storm shelter) were being explored but no decisions had been made. On security in the council room, Andrew noted that concealed‑carry permit holders may legally carry in city hall and that law‑enforcement presence is available; no additional security measures were adopted.

Why it matters: the presentation set expectations for a busy 2026 construction season tied to multiple capital projects, signaled continuity in many city services, and gave residents a consolidated view of city operations and finances via the annual report. The council did not take formal action at the session.

Next steps: Andrew said the full annual report and supporting slides are available on the city website under Administration, and the city intends to publish the report annually going forward.