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City staff presents FY 2026–27 budget with emphasis on streets, public safety and personnel costs
Summary
Staff presented the proposed FY 2026–27 budget: general fund roughly $16.1 million; water and sewer about $13.0 million; police budget makes up ~27% of expenses; the proposal includes a 3¢ property tax increase directed to street maintenance, $610,000 for resurfacing, and a 4% combined merit raise.
City staff presented a summary of the proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget at the May 12 meeting, highlighting a focus on street resurfacing, continued public safety funding and personnel costs.
The presentation listed general fund totals of about $16,095,921, a water and sewer fund near $13,000,004, and a stormwater fund of approximately $1,000,003. Staff said property tax generates roughly 35% of general fund revenue with sales tax at about 20% and sanitation fees at 11%. Personnel comprises about 60% of expenses; the police department represents approximately 27% of the budget and the fire department about 15%.
Key budget highlights included a proposed combined 4% merit and COLA raise for staff, continued investment in public safety equipment and vehicles, a targeted investment of about $610,000 for street resurfacing, and capital purchases including a leaf truck and street sweeper intended to reduce temporary staffing needs. Staff also described water and sewer priorities: lead and copper mitigation funded partially by a $1,000,000 grant, clarifier rehabilitation for the wastewater treatment plant, and the rollout of AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) meters over multiple years to improve leak detection and billing accuracy.
Staff said the water and sewer fund would include a 3% rate increase for outside‑city customers and reiterated that the resurfacing commitment is intended to be spread equitably across neighborhoods. Commissioners were directed to the full budget documents on the city website and to the clerk’s office for review. A public hearing on the budget was scheduled for the next Tuesday (May 19) at 6:00 p.m.
