Lake City discusses FY2026 budget and sets April 7 public hearing on property tax levy

City Administrator Jacob Matthews presented the draft FY2026 budget to the Lake City Council on March 3 and outlined recommendations for council consideration.

The council discussed the budget during the open meeting but took no final budget votes in this session. As a related action, the council approved Resolution 2025‑9 to schedule a special meeting and public hearing on April 7, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. on the proposed property tax levy for FY2026. Councilperson Daniel moved to approve the resolution and Councilperson Bruns seconded; the roll-call vote was unanimous.

During public comment earlier in the meeting residents mentioned grant activity relevant to economic development and the community building: Tami Green referenced a $99,000 USDA grant application and Virgina Sheffield noted a $10,000 grant received by the Friends of the Community Building for patio furniture. Those items were presented as public comment and were not recorded as formal budget allocations in the minutes.

The meeting minutes include the claims report covering vendor payments from Feb. 13–Feb. 28, 2025 with a listed total of $78,494.96, which the council approved as part of the consent agenda. No timelines or final budget figures for FY2026 were adopted at the March 3 meeting; the April 7 hearing provides the next formal opportunity for public comment on the levy.