Belgrade council adopts preliminary FY2027 budget, cites debt and infrastructure needs

The Belgrade City Council on July 6 adopted a preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget after a staff presentation outlining revenue assumptions, staffing changes and multi-million-dollar debt obligations.

City staff emphasized that charges for services (including water and wastewater revenue and impact fees) are the largest revenue source, followed by property tax revenue, which staff preliminarily budgeted at about $9.1 million. A staff presenter told the council the budget incorporates a 2.97% inflation adjustment and called out changes from recent state action described during the presentation as "senate bill 117" that altered how inflation adjustments and newly taxable property values are treated.

The budget includes a new full-time position for a chief civil attorney and a 4% salary increase for unrepresented staff; staff estimated the net cost of salary and benefits increases (including the new FTE) at roughly $1.1 million. Long-term debt obligations remain sizable: staff reported total long-term debt of about $104 million, with wastewater debt accounting for the majority and planned bond issues tied to the parks district and urban renewal projects. City staff also described a proposed transfer of $250,000 to the capital improvements program for the Justice Center and noted impact-fee balances, including estimates of $6.3 million for water impact fees and $4.3 million for wastewater.

The presentation reviewed fund-level details: the library will receive approximately $622,000 from the general fund (about half its operating budget) and planning $202,000 (about 29% of its operating budget). The staff presenter said water rates would increase about 4% and wastewater rates about 10% under the current proposal; many other fees were adjusted consistent with the master fee schedule adopted earlier in the meeting.

Council members asked clarifying questions about estimates and timing; staff reiterated that many figures depend on certified property values, which the state provides in August. After closing the public hearing with no speakers, the council voted to adopt Resolution 2026-15 approving the preliminary FY27 budget. The adoption is preliminary and will be revisited once certified values are available and as the budget proceeds through the normal hearings and adoption cycle.