Minot finance staff present midyear 2026 budget snapshot; council asks for timing-based views

City finance staff presented a year-to-date 2026 budget dashboard at the June 15 special meeting, reviewing general fund original and revised budgets, actuals, encumbrances and object-level spending, and showing a 2.77% year-over-year increase in sales tax collections through April. Council members pressed for timing-based views to better understand whether spending is on track midyear.

Jenna summarized three dashboard pages: the general fund (original budget, revised budget, actuals and encumbrances), enterprise funds (operational accounts) and special revenue funds (transportation, transit, library, the Nazbiota plant and flood control). She highlighted object-level accounts (regular employees, overtime, electricity) and noted that some department figures are skewed by one-time items, such as already-bid street maintenance contracts.

"I did make an error in that 2.77% is year-over-year, not year-to-date," Jenna said, clarifying that the 2.77% figure compares 2026 sales-tax collections through April to the same period in 2025. Council members asked whether the finance team could produce a more timing-sensitive view (for example monthly budgeting) to avoid misinterpreting midyear percentages.

Alderman Blessum asked for a clearer sense of whether the city is "on track" and requested more fidelity from department heads so the council can better interpret percent-used figures that may be distorted by the timing of contracts or revenue receipts.

The City Finance Director said their ERP system can produce monthly budgeting but warned that doing so would require additional staff effort and strict adherence to requisition and purchasing processes to avoid "garbage in, garbage out" data problems. He cautioned that monthly reporting capabilities exist but are labor-intensive and demand consistent process compliance.

On reserves and budget execution, staff said the original adopted budget anticipated using just over $11.5 million in reserves to balance the general fund and that a failed ordinance affecting economic development sales tax transfers, combined with additional staffing and other costs, could increase the reserves gap. The finance director said that, if the full budget were executed as laid out, reserves usage could be significantly higher than planned and staff would continue to monitor trends and alert council to material anomalies.

Council and staff agreed to work on improved reporting fidelity, clearer department-level context and warning mechanisms for midyear review. No formal votes were taken on budget items during the meeting; the city manager indicated additional budget briefings and the manager's proposed budget are anticipated around July 16.