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Council adopts preliminary 2026 property tax levy amount; sets maximum for further budget work
Summary
The council approved a preliminary levy resolution that sets a maximum 2026 property tax levy staff said totals $4,680,451 (a 9.72% increase from 2025). Councilors emphasized using levy proceeds for a three-mile road reconstruction project and continuing work to reduce the final levy before certification.
The Deephaven City Council on Sept. 15 approved a resolution establishing the preliminary property tax levy for collection in 2026. Dan, city staff, presented the levy package and told the council the total proposed levy is $4,680,451 to be collected in 2026; staff broke that amount into a capital improvement levy of $1,000,000, bond debt service of $189,315 and an ad valorem/general levy component of $3,491,136. Staff said the preliminary total represents a 9.72% increase over the levy certified for 2025 ($4,265,885).
Councilors discussed priorities and context: they described a multiyear plan to reconstruct approximately three miles of streets in 2026, noted ongoing union contract negotiations affecting salaries and personnel costs, and said that the initial draft levy was higher (14.63%) before refinements. One council member thanked staff for budgeting ahead for large capital needs and said the approach would help avoid emergency bonding in future years.
After discussion, Councilor (speaker 4) moved to approve the preliminary levy resolution as presented; the motion was seconded and passed by the council. The resolution sets a maximum levy that may be reduced but not increased when the levy is finally certified. Staff said they will continue refining the numbers and return with final figures for certification before the statutory deadlines.
Because this approval is preliminary, the council and staff may reduce the levy before final certification; staff noted the preliminary approval locks in an upper bound for 2026 collections.
