Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Council adopts 2025 budget, sets 5.14% levy increase
Summary
The City Council approved Resolution 20‑24 adopting the 2025 budget and final levy after a public hearing; staff said the package includes a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment and a six‑month overlap for a planned public‑works replacement, yielding an overall levy increase of about 5.14%.
The City Council approved Resolution 20‑24 adopting the 2025 budget and setting the final levy after a public hearing and council discussion.
Tracy, a city staff member who presented the updated figures, said the package retains a 3% cost‑of‑living increase for employees and includes six months of budgeted overlap to train a potential replacement for a departing public‑works employee. "This still includes a 3% cola increase for all the employees ... I was able to get it down to about a 5.14% increase," Tracy said.
Council members pressed staff on what was driving the tax change. Staff explained the operating budget rose about 1.3% while debt service increased roughly 3.84%, and members compared the levy to neighboring jurisdictions. One council member noted the town's increase is in a similar range to nearby county and EDA levies, while others urged continued attention to cost drivers.
The council moved and seconded the resolution after the hearing; the motion carried. The resolution was identified in the meeting record as Resolution 20‑24 (2025 budget and final levy). No vote tallies tied to individual members were recorded in the transcript.
Because debt‑service pressures were cited as the single largest driver of the levy change, council members asked staff to continue exploring cost‑control options and to provide updated estimates if any debt‑service adjustments occur before year end.
