City lays out $393.5M proposed budget and projected property‑tax impacts

Finance staff reviewed the proposed 2026–27 budget roadmap, reporting proposed revenues of $325,000,000 and proposed expenditures of $393,500,000, leaving an estimated $68,000,000 deficit to be covered from fund balance. Staff said estimated beginning fund balance is roughly $197,000,000 and highlighted reserves for capital, rate stabilization and debt service.

The presentation included a modeled property‑tax impact: staff reported an estimated levy of about $54,098,846 and gave examples of homeowner impacts — for instance, a $450,000 home would face an estimated $150 per year (about $13/month) increase under the proposed package. Staff reviewed funding sources for new personnel requests and said some items would be phased in across years to minimize one‑year general fund impacts.