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Council hears budget preview: GEMT revenue, impact-fee shortfalls and prioritized requests leave council about $210,000 short
Summary
Finance staff told council they received $1.4M in GEMT reimbursements and project $2.8M next year for EMS; impact fees and permit revenue are lower than expected. The prioritized unfunded requests total about $1.7M while available one-time/ongoing sources total about $1.515M, leaving a roughly $210,000 gap.
Finance staff presented a broad preview of the 2026–27 budget and the process used to balance the general fund.
Staff said the city recently received $1.4 million in GEMT (ground emergency medical transport) reimbursements and projects roughly $2.8 million to arrive in the next fiscal year as the reimbursement program catches up; the administration proposed using those funds primarily to rebuild the EMS fund balance. Staff also reported a significant decline in impact-fee revenue and building-permit receipts compared with earlier expectations, which reduces available funding for new capital projects.
On revenue assumptions, staff modeled the statutorily-allowed 3% property-tax increase and assumed about $1,000,000 in growth/annexation revenue (with $750,000 of that used to help balance this budget) as one of the primary balancing items. After departments prioritized requests, the list of unfunded prioritized items totaled roughly $1.7 million. Staff estimated available sources (remaining growth, the 1% foregone option and police-complex excess funds) at approximately $1.515 million, leaving a shortfall near $210,000 on the prioritized list.
Department-level highlights included police requests for a county-enterprise records-management and dispatch move (implementation cost and ongoing net impact described by the chief), a proposed pay-scale step removal to improve mid-career retention, and targeted positions such as an opioid detective funded through asset-seizure and opioid-settlement revenues. Fire presented training-officer requests and station remediation needs. Recreation and library raised facility and operating requests and staff said they are reviewing nonresident-fee increases to boost revenue while protecting resident access.
Staff said they will provide a full budget book and the prioritized request packages before the council's scheduled budget meeting and that council can amend or direct changes during the formal adoption process.
