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West Branch council reviews FY27 budget proposals, schedules follow-up work session
Summary
City Administrator Adam Kofoed and department heads outlined proposed FY27 changes including continued cemetery road work, a planned full-time fire chief salary, modest police raises, new parks investments and grant work to connect a local trail; council scheduled a Feb. 9 work session for deeper review.
City Administrator Adam Kofoed presented an overview of the proposed FY27 general fund uses to the West Branch City Council on Feb. 2, 2026, and department heads described specific changes and priorities ahead of a scheduled follow-up work session on Feb. 9.
Kofoed summarized overall budget direction and invited departmental updates. Parks and Recreation Director Erin Laughlin said cemetery road repairs will continue under a multi-year schedule, with roughly one-third of cemetery roads repaired this year and the project slated for completion the following year. Parks and Recreation also plans to change lawn-care vendors, add cameras at Beranek Park, add mulch at playgrounds and laser-level fields at Cubby Park.
Police Chief Greg Hall (listed among staff in the minutes) and council discussion noted a planned modest salary increase for police staff and that DARA training will be hosted in West Branch. The Fire Department’s principal proposed change is to fund a full-time fire chief position in FY27. In administration, Clerk Alycia Friis said the city expects a one-time increase for a new auditing firm and related expenses, contract labor and a new city website, while overall election-related costs and salaries are expected to be lower for the year.
Library Director Jessie Shaffer reported operating increases tied to inflation and noted plans to replace an older furnace and one remote door at the library building. Laughlin and Friis are pursuing grant opportunities to connect the Johnson County trail and extend a trail in front of the high school. The garbage and recycling fund remains budgeted as a break-even account with no expected rate change.
Kofoed told the council that a second work session is set for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, to allow more in-depth review of the FY27 proposals.
The accounting and line-item details for the FY27 draft were not provided in the minutes beyond department summaries; the council did not take a final vote on the budget at the Feb. 2 meeting.
