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Janesville council adopts budget adjustments, lowers city levy and approves personnel changes
Summary
After a required budget hearing, the Janesville council adopted a lower final levy (from a 15% preliminary to under 10%) and passed a resolution that includes hiring a full‑time community development position and expanded duties for the clubhouse manager; the resolution passed 4–1.
Residents pressed the council about a jump in their property-tax bills before the council adopted year-end budget and personnel changes. "I come for my taxes... by taxes increasing 32.7%," resident Alan Feckire said during public forum, asking why his bill had risen.
Administrator Clinton told residents the city had set a cautious preliminary levy of about 15% in September and had since reduced it; "we're actually under 10 now," he said, adding that the city portion of a homeowner's tax bill should fall by roughly a third once the final levy is adopted. Clinton also explained that county valuation and school levies affect total bills and that appeals over valuation should go to the county assessor.
At the council's budget hearing, Clinton walked through the annual budget, highlighted per‑capita and per‑day costs of city services, and explained the timeline required by Minnesota statute to hold a hearing before year-end. Council members considered personnel recommendations from the personnel committee: offering a full‑time community development director position to Caitlyn (noting an estimated roughly $5,000 annual net budget impact to add two days of work) and expanding Jacob's clubhouse manager duties and pay.
Council members discussed tradeoffs, including that hiring a full‑time local director could limit direct access to CEDA resources that had supported the city's part‑time arrangement. "I would hate to see her lose that tool to function here," one council member said, referencing CEDA backing for the role. Supporters said the extra in‑house coverage and continuity justified the small additional cost.
The council voted to adopt resolution 2025‑19, which incorporates the personnel changes and associated budget items, by a 4–1 margin. The meeting record does not attribute individual yes/no votes to named members.
The council also approved a motion closing city offices on Christmas Eve and adopted related year‑end administrative items. The meeting closed after passing other routine year‑end motions and park items.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution 2025‑19 (personnel and budget items): passed, 4–1. - Christmas Eve closure motion: passed (voice vote recorded as carried).
What happens next
With the resolution adopted, the city will submit required budget and levy paperwork to the county for final processing and will post final figures as the county completes calculations. Members seeking details about county valuation or school levy components were directed to the county assessor's office.
