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Ruston council adopts 2026 budget with COLA; reserves to cover $95,000 shortfall
Summary
The Ruston City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1596, the 2026 budget, by a 4-0 vote. The measure includes a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for city employees, a roughly $95,000 projected deficit to be covered from reserves, and continued emphasis on public-safety funding.
The City of Ruston adopted Ordinance No. 1596 on Dec. 2, 2025, approving the 2026 budget by a 4-0 vote. The ordinance sets total revenues and expenditures at $7,686,187 and includes a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for city employees.
Councilmember Hedrick said the proposed budget represents a modest contraction from the prior year and noted that "approximately 77% of the City's budget is allocated to public safety." He characterized the budget as "challenging" but said the COLA was an important inclusion for staff. Councilmember Jensen, who attended the audit exit conference, praised city staff for maintaining accurate financial records and said that praise contributed to her willingness to support the budget. Mayor Bruce Hopkins said the city projects a $95,000 deficit for 2026 that the council plans to cover from reserve funds and explained the budget was written conservatively because of recent revenue losses.
The budget shows beginning balances of about $2,279,354, operating revenues of $5,406,833, and proposed operating expenditures of $5,207,800, with ending balances forecast at $2,478,387. Mayor Hopkins told the council the city lost about $600,000 in revenue after the elimination of the Point Ruston parking tax in 2025 and that related litigation is ongoing. He said the reserve fund balance is approximately $2.1 million and that the budget is structured to address a worst-case scenario.
The ordinance was adopted at the council's second-reading hearing; the public hearing was opened and closed with no comments. The budget must be in place prior to Jan. 1, 2026, per state law.
