First reading and public hearing of an ordinance approving and adopting the budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027. This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $962,035 (1.64%), and of that amount, $773,890 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll (Presentation made by Finance Director Jonathan

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

Based on feedback and direction from the August 18th budget workshop, staff has prepared the proposed 2026–27 budget. The following action items are necessary to proceed with adopting the 2026-2027 budget. This is the first public hearing and introduction of the budget ordinance for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027. The ordinance appropriates funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year (Exhibit A) and approves the pay schedule for all City employees (Exhibit B). It also determines and approves budget amendment authorizations. The ordinance authorizes the City Manager to apply for, accept, and budget for routine, recurring grants (Exhibit C) and execute any documents related to these grants. The City Manager is also given the authority to execute certain Interlocal Agreements that do not require the expenditure of City funds. The staffing headcount is authorized in sections ten for civil service and eleven for civilians (Exhibit D). The proposed 2026-2027 budget meets all legal requirements.

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 7.0/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.