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Long Prairie council adopts 2026 budget, approves employee benefit changes and assessments
Summary
The Long Prairie City Council approved the 2026 budget and related assessments, ended an employee probationary period, and granted new non-union employee benefits effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The Long Prairie City Council on Dec. 22 approved the city’s 2026 budget and a package of personnel and assessment actions, motions that the council said set the levy and enable department heads to manage their own budgets going forward.
Mayor Jim Kreemer and the five-member council voted unanimously to adopt the budget as presented, which the council said matches the data used to set the 2026 levy. Council Member Lilah Gripne told the council department heads have been given budget information and will take on more responsibility for managing their departmental budgets in the coming year.
The council also approved assessments to carry delinquent water, sewer, garbage, lawn, snow and miscellaneous charges forward to the 2026 tax rolls. Council Member Gripne moved the assessment motion and it was approved unanimously.
On personnel matters, Mayor Jim Kreemer moved to end Callaway Neumann’s six-month probation effective Jan. 1, 2026; the council approved the motion unanimously. Council Member JoAnn Schroeder moved to grant non-union employees two extra vacation days, a $35-per-month phone allowance, and parity with union employees on insurance cost sharing, effective Jan. 1, 2026; that motion was also approved unanimously.
The council did not provide a line-item presentation of the budget figures during the meeting minutes, and department-specific allocations were not detailed in the record. The council said the figures used to create the levy will be available in the adopted budget document.
The council adjourned at 8:28 p.m.
