Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canby budget committee approves $90.38 million 2026—udget, adds procurement allowance and funds project manager
Summary
The Canby Budget Committee approved a $90,380,408 fiscal year 2026-27 spending plan and property tax levies, and agreed to keep a procurement administration allowance on the bubble list while funding a project manager largely from capital project funds.
The Canby Budget Committee voted May 28 to approve the city—udget for fiscal year 2026-27 in the amount of $90,380,408 and to levy property taxes at 3.4886¢ per $1,000 for operating purposes and 49¢ per $1,000 for a swim-center local option levy.
Interim City Administrator Randy Ealy led the evening iscussion, telling the committee the proposed plan shows about $90.5 million in total resources with roughly $37.5 million held in reserves and contingencies. "You have a $90,000,000 budget proposal and $37,500,000 of which is in reserves or contingencies," Ealy said, adding that the city is projecting an operating ending general-fund balance near 30 percent as staff finalizes audit entries.
Why it matters: the committee ebated how much of an apparent surplus the city should spend now versus hold back. Canby has a council policy requiring a 20 percent operating reserve in the general fund; several members said the committee should be cautious about long-term commitments even as they allowed several one-time or limited add-backs.
A central policy choice at the meeting concerned two staffing items on the committee—ubble list: a procurement administrator and a project manager. Staff proposed charging 90 percent of those positions to capital project funds and 10 percent to the general fund to limit the budget ry impact on ongoing operations. Ealy told the committee that, "we're gonna put that in project funds, 90% of it," and that the city would also test contract options to compare cost and flexibility.
Committee members questioned whether projects could sustain full-time positions and whether contract procurement services might be cheaper than a fully loaded employee. Finance Director Denise LaRue pointed committee members to the line item for Maple Park turf replacement and confirmed the city budgeted $70,000 for that project this year, up from $35,000 last year.
After debate, the committee approved an edit to the bubble list renaming the procurement line item to "procurement administration allowance," keeping roughly $19,500 in general-fund authority available so management could choose either a contractor or an FTE after market testing. The motion to adopt the bubble list with that change passed (one member opposed).
Councilor Jason Padden moved approval of the full budget and the property-tax levies; the motion was seconded and the committee voted to adopt the fiscal year 2026-27 budget. Ealy said staff will return with a midyear update and that final audit journal entries in June will further clarify the ending fund balance.
What—omes next: the committee pproved the budget package and directed staff to pursue market testing for procurement services and to report back with updated numbers at midyear. The committee also signaled a preference for conservative forecasting to hedge future cost pressures such as PERS and benefits increases.
