Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hickman council advances 2025-26 budget and $1.8M tax request after debate over infrastructure and parks
Summary
Council held public hearings on the one- and six-year street improvement plan and the 2025-26 proposed budget. Finance staff presented a $1.8 million property-tax request (12% increase) to fund water, sewer, streets and capital needs; council discussed trade-offs including park spending before approving the request and related resolutions.
Kelly, presenting the city's proposed 2025-26 budget, told the council the city is proposing a personal and real property tax request of $1.8 million, which she described as 12% higher than the prior year's request. Kelly said the city's operating budget is proposed to decrease by 12% while tax request dollars would cover capital and bond needs tied to water, wastewater and street infrastructure expansion.
"This year's proposed budget...there's a personal and real property tax request of $1.8 million," Kelly said, noting the county-set allowable growth for Hickman is 5.94% and the state-set inflation percentage used in calculations is 5.17%. Kelly also advised the council the city will likely need to attend a joint public hearing with Lancaster County because the proposed tax request exceeds the statutory thresholds.
Council members probed details and pushed back on priorities. One councilor questioned whether the extra roughly $199,000 above allowable growth was needed, citing recent unplanned expenditures and urging scrutiny of nonessential projects. Kelly and other members responded that water and wastewater projects, ongoing sewer-line repairs and bond-related refinancings are driving capital needs and that the city budget process must balance predictable and unpredictable demands.
The council passed Resolution 2025-12 (adopting the one- and six-year improvement plan) and Resolution 2025-13 (authorizing the annual transfer from the general fund to the street fund to provide the required 25% match of highway allocation funds). After extended discussion about the levy mechanics, infrastructure needs and a proposed $600,000 park project, councilors voted to approve Resolution 2025-14 to set the property-tax request for 2025-26. The roll-call record shows mixed yes/no votes during the call but the resolution passed.
Council introduced Ordinance 2025-11 (the annual appropriation/annual-appropriation bill) and voted to waive the three-reading rule because state deadlines require the budget be filed by the end of the fiscal year; the ordinance will return on the agenda as old business at the next meeting.
Kelly told the council the city's general-fund tax request supports operating expenses, capital improvements, debt service and transfers; she said a $90,000 transfer to the street fund is the city's 25% match for $363,562 in highway allocation funds the city expects to receive. The proposed budget document also lists substantial water and wastewater capital projects and a refinancing of about $4 million that affects the total budget outlook.
Council members said they understand the need for infrastructure spending but noted the impact on taxpayers and asked staff to return with clarifying schedules and written backup for debated items.
The council closed the public hearings after hearing no speakers and moved the budget items forward for formal adoption in subsequent meetings.
