Council sets Sept. 9 public hearings for proposed budget and tax rate; staff outlines departmental highlights

The council heard a high‑level review of departmental budget requests and set public hearing dates for the fiscal year 2025–26 proposed budget and tax rate.

The finance director summarized priorities and assumptions underlying the preliminary budget, noting certified property values were due soon and that the proposed budget would be presented to council on August 12. “As I presented to you in the work session, we went over the departmental highlights… and the next process will be the proposed budget that I will present to you guys on August 12,” the finance director said.

Departmental highlights included a 9% proposed change for the fire department (no new personnel requested), an 8% increase for police including pay‑plan adjustments and capital requests for software and equipment, and a 28% increase for parks and recreation driven by staffing for two new recreation centers and a planned Sports Park Phase 2 estimate ($20 million). The finance director also noted a $351,000 per‑one‑cent estimate for tax collections compared with $322,000 the prior year.

Council voted to set two public hearings — for the proposed budget and for the tax rate — on September 9; both motions passed 6–0. The council also discussed the timeline for work sessions and the potential for additional special sessions as design and bond work proceeds.

Council members asked for more detail on individual requests, including the proposed assistant community development director and police staffing; staff said those clarifications would appear in the August 12 presentation and in subsequent work sessions.