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Evansville council reviews 2025 departmental budgets; tentative $10,000 levy gap reported
Summary
At a Sept. 26 special budget meeting, the Evansville Common Council reviewed 2025 budget requests across city departments, discussed capital needs tied to recent park and pool projects and utility upgrades, and heard a tentative levy gap of $10,000, city staff said.
EVANSVILLE, Wis. — The Evansville Common Council on Sept. 26 held a special budget meeting to review 2025 departmental budget requests and capital projects, and to gauge gaps in projected revenue and spending.
Mayor Dianne Duggan called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. City Administrator Jason Sergeant summarized the overall budget picture and reported a tentative levy gap of $10,000 at this stage of the process. Sergeant invited council members to send questions about court-related line items to Judge Alisankus, who was unable to attend.
Councilors then heard brief presentations from department leaders. Library Director Bronna Lehmann said most library adjustments realign wages to reflect shifting janitorial duties rather than add new programs. Police Chief Patrick Reese reviewed packet highlights and said the department has submitted a grant application for two portable radios. EMS Chief Carolyn Kleisch said the EMS budget cuts several supply and training items included in last year’s ask and that the department’s primary request is increased wages for volunteer responders who achieve higher training and licensing levels.
Community Development Director Colette Spranger said the city aims to preserve funding for the Building Inspector position while trying to recruit for it, and proposed hiring a third-party consultant to lead a Comprehensive Plan Update and Park and Open Space Plan that would include public input. Municipal Services Director Scott Kriebs outlined parks and capital projects, saying park expense increases reflect higher utility costs and planned park expansion. Kriebs also summarized Public Works needs (including drug- and alcohol-testing program costs and recycling), cemetery maintenance (replacement of a 2009 truck and road resurfacing), stormwater repairs (waterway and ditch work, creek walls, purchase of a rough mower, and work at Larson Acres Park), wastewater cost pressures, and water capital work that includes reconstruction of Cherry and Enterprise Streets and upgrades to the SCADA water system.
On the electric side, Kriebs said part of the requested spending would replace rubber sleeves about 25 years old and fund increased tree trimming to improve reliability; councilors also discussed the potential need for an electric rate case. Treasurer Julie Roberts said debt-service figures reflect general fund and stormwater borrowing and have risen because the pool, parks and spraypad projects were recently finalized.
Sergeant said the AWARE allocation in Health and Human Services is intended to help with rent and operational expenses, and that discussions with Creekside about programming amounts are ongoing. He also noted TID 7 is closed, while TID 10 may incur preliminary engineering and planning expenses in 2026 related to CHS, though final costs are not yet available.
Several items in the packet were flagged as less certain (highlighted in yellow), including pool-related items that will be adjusted when final season numbers are in. Sergeant closed his summary by restating that the levy gap stood at about $10,000 tentatively. The meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
What happens next: councilors reviewed the packet details and heard department presentations; follow-up questions, adjustments to highlighted Fund 10 items and any formal budget decisions will occur in subsequent budget meetings and through the regular council process.
