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Residents press council on cityhood and WWTP fee changes during public hearings
Summary
At public hearings, residents asked questions about the proposed FY2026 budget and changes to wastewater debt service fees; a separate cityhood Q&A session drew several residents who sought information but no council action is recorded on cityhood.
The Sparta Village Council held two linked public hearings and a cityhood question-and-answer opportunity during its Dec. 15 meeting.
President Robert Whalen opened a public hearing at 7:04 p.m. on the proposed FY2026 budget, millage rate and 2026–2032 Capital Improvement Plan; that hearing closed at 7:07 p.m. Immediately afterward, Whalen opened a public hearing on proposed changes to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) debt service fee schedule at 7:07 p.m.; Kristie Dougan, Ricky Johnson and Joan Kenoshmeg are recorded as commenting during that hearing, which closed at 7:22 p.m. Several residents later used the general public-comment period to raise matters of local concern. The minutes do not record the text of comments, only who spoke.
The council also set aside time for a Cityhood Question & Answer opportunity; Barb Johnson, Jon Bradley, Tony Burnette and Darrell Cameron are recorded as participating. The minutes list those speakers and their participation in the Q&A but show no council vote or follow-up directive tied to cityhood in this meeting record.
What was said: The minutes identify participants by name for the hearings and Q&A but do not include verbatim remarks or summarized positions. The record therefore shows who engaged but does not supply direct quotes or detailed positions to report.
What’s next: The FY2026 budget and the revised WWTP debt rates were adopted by council later in the meeting; any outstanding questions from public commenters about cityhood or utility-rate details are not shown as producing formal council direction in these minutes. Residents seeking more information will need to follow up with village staff to obtain hearing exhibits, detailed rate tables, or any cityhood-related materials.
