Sac City council adopts FY 2026–27 budget, certifies taxes and approves several local measures

Sac City’s City Council adopted the FY 2026–27 budget and certified the city’s tax levy at its April 28 meeting, voting unanimously among members present to close the public hearing and approve Resolution No. 2026-26.

The City Administrator provided a condensed overview of the proposed budget during the public hearing; there were no written or oral comments. Councilmember Teresa Bruening moved to close the hearing and then introduced the budget resolution, which passed on a roll-call vote with Councilmembers Kayla Shull, Teresa Bruening, Tom Lownik and Larry Mahler voting aye; Murley was absent.

Why it matters: adopting the budget sets Sac City’s spending plan and formally certifies property tax levies the city will request for FY 2026–27, authorizing staff to implement appropriations and tax certification for the coming fiscal year.

Votes at a glance - Resolution No. 2026-26 (Adopt the Budget & Certification of City Taxes for Sac City): Introduced by Teresa Bruening; passed 4–0 (Murley absent). No public objections were recorded during the hearing. - Resolution No. 2026-25 (Approve and adopt the Sac Aquatic Center Personnel Policy and associated exhibits): Introduced by Tom Lownik; passed 4–0 (Murley absent). - Resolution No. 2026-27 (Set date for public hearing on proposal to enter into a General Obligation Corporate Purpose and Refunding Loan Agreement and to borrow money thereunder): Introduced by Tom Lownik; passed 4–0 (Murley absent). - Special meeting scheduled for May 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.: Approved on motion by Tom Lownik, seconded by Teresa Bruening; passed 4–0. - Lifeguard appointment — Rueben Potts: Approved on motion by Teresa Bruening, seconded by Larry Mahler; passed 4–0.

Routine business and claims At the start of the meeting council approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from the April 14 meeting, financial reports and claims totaling $19,041.77. The consent vote was made by Councilmember Tom Lownik and seconded by Teresa Bruening and passed unanimously among members present. The consent agenda listed vendor-level claims and fund allocations, including a General Fund allocation of $8,966.61 and a Garbage Utility Fund allocation of $6,488.18; the transcript lists the full vendor roll and the claims total.

Local relief and community requests During public comment, Sandy Dierenfeld asked the council to partially forgive the VFW’s sewer charge after a water leak that did not run through the sewer system. Council approved a motion (moved by Kayla Shull, seconded by Larry Mahler) to calculate the VFW’s sewer charge by taking an average of the VFW’s sewer-portion usage and forgiving the over‑usage amount.

Barb Rench asked to use the Chautauqua Building as a rain backup for an upcoming wiener dog race event; council approved the request (motion by Kayla Shull; second by Larry Mahler).

Public comment also included remarks from Tyler Prescott, who addressed the council about his campaign goals as a candidate for sheriff in the upcoming primary; those remarks were part of public comment and did not result in council action.

What’s next Council members announced committee and department head reports, held a brief council forum, and adjourned the meeting at 5:30 p.m. The council also scheduled a special meeting for May 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., where the council may continue business related to items on the agenda or the scheduled public hearing on the proposed borrowing.