City of Lewistown approves street maintenance increase, keeps boulevard assessment unchanged

The City of Lewistown commission voted to set the FY2025–26 street maintenance assessment at option 4 (0.04 per square foot), a move city staff said would generate roughly $131,000 in additional revenue and help fund snow‑removal equipment and seasonal staffing.

City manager (Speaker 3) reviewed five assessment options and recommended option 4 to offset equipment and personnel cost increases: "My preferred option because of the increases for, equipment, personnel removal, and personnel, my preferred option will be option 4," the city manager said. Staff reported projected gas‑tax and entitlement revenue and a carryforward balance; commissioners discussed the size of the proposed capital patching and overlay program and asked for more certainty around cash carryforward figures.

Commissioners debated the size of the increase and the need to keep up with inflation and equipment replacement. One commissioner urged a larger capital appropriation for equipment, noting the city had fallen behind on some machinery, while another emphasized minimizing immediate burden on residents. The city manager said option 4 would bring the street maintenance program close to break‑even while preserving capacity to fund patching, chip seals and limited concrete projects.

Separately, the commission approved keeping the boulevard maintenance assessment rate unchanged for FY2025–26 (the assessment covers 59 adjacent properties) and approved a capital expenditures action to pay an over‑threshold quote to rebuild a trailer‑mounted wastewater pump at a total cost of $15,725.85. The pump repair was authorized under purchasing rules because the repaired pump was necessary for plant operations and the cost exceeded the departmental threshold.

The decisions were adopted by roll call vote (all "Aye"). City staff will bring more detailed budget worksheets and cash carryforward reconciliation to the next budget steps and may return with equipment‑purchase proposals for further consideration.