Grand Island City Council Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 Budget and Tax Requests - September 9, 2026
Grand Island City Council Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 Budget and Tax Requests - September 9, 2026
Note: The transcript states the meeting date as September 8, 2026, but the instruction specifies the meeting took place on September 9, 2026. This discrepancy is noted.
The Grand Island City Council held a public hearing on September 9, 2026, at 6:30 PM to comply with Nebraska Revised Statute §13-506 for the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget and property tax requests. The meeting was separate from a regular council meeting, and no votes were taken. Presentations were given by City Administrator Patrick Brown, and one member of the public provided testimony. The hearing covered the annual single city budget, the general property and community redevelopment authority (CRA) tax request, and the parking district tax request.
Public Comments & Testimony
- One speaker (name not provided) criticized the city's recent spending on elective projects, including AstroTurf, Island Oasis, a transfer station, and park improvements. The speaker argued that these projects could have been postponed and that spending on bonds without considering interest costs was unsustainable. The speaker urged the council to exercise greater fiscal discipline to avoid future property tax increases, noting that state aid may be cut.
Discussion Items
- Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Presentation (Patrick Brown):
- General fund revenues are projected at $54.3 million, with personnel services (net) at $41.6 million and operating expenses (net) at $10.3 million, leaving a surplus of approximately $251,000.
- A five-year projection shows ending cash reserves of $20.4 million by 2031, with required reserves of $15.2 million, assuming no property tax increase and no new full-time employees (FTEs).
- Revenue growth is slowing: historical assumptions of 3% revenue growth have been revised to 1.5% for revenues, 2% for operating costs, and 4% for personnel costs.
- Sales tax growth is volatile, with a current 2% year-over-year increase, and some months show declines.
- Personnel costs are the largest expense: collective bargaining agreements include 5% increases for bargaining unit employees and 4% for non-union employees. Total personnel services are approximately $43.6 million.
- The city faces a structural imbalance where expenditures grow faster than revenues, leading to reserve usage and reduced financial flexibility.
- Recommendations include pausing new personnel except for critical needs, evaluating vacancies before refilling, developing a strategic hiring process, and maintaining the property tax ask at the prior year level.
- Property tax valuation increased by $304,336,184 (6%) from 2025 to 2026. Applying the current mill levy of 0.241485 would increase property tax revenue by $605,483. The city proposes to keep the tax ask flat at $12,207,540, which would reduce the mill levy to 0.227797.
- Property Tax Requests (Patrick Brown):
- City and Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA) tax ask: The city proposes a flat ask of $12,207,540 (same as prior year), and the CRA asks $798,890 (same as prior year). Mill levies would decrease accordingly.
- Parking District Number Two (downtown ramp): The district requests no tax increase; the ask remains $9,090, and the mill levy decreases from 0.009711 to 0.009710.
Key Outcomes
- The public hearing on the fiscal year 2026-2027 annual single city budget and appropriations bill was opened and closed without council action.
- The public hearing on the general property and community redevelopment authority tax request was opened and closed without council action.
- The public hearing on the parking district number two ramp tax request was opened and closed without council action.
- The council will subsequently adopt or amend and adopt the proposed budget statement and certify the property tax amounts to the levying board.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to our meeting. The date is September 8, 2026. The time is 6 30 p.m. This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council. The City of Grand Island abides by the Open Meetings Act in conducting business. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room as required by state law. Now I ask that you join us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The clerk will now perform roll call. Councilmember Sheard. Present. Councilmember Stelk. Present. Councilmember Conley. Present. Councilmember Nickerson. Present. Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Hazi. Present. Councilmember Mendoza. Present. Council President O'Neill. Present. Councilmember Landfire? Present. And Mayor Steele. Present. Also present are Jill Grenier, the City Clerk. Patrick Brown, the City Administrator, Chelsea Steinkey, the Finance Director, Carrie Fisk, the City Attorney, and Keith Kurtz, the Public Works Director. Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the request for future agenda items form located at the information booth. If the issue can be handled administratively without council action, notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study session, notification of the date will be given. A sign-up sheet was available in the lobby for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items. If you did not sign up to speak on an agenda item, please come forward, state your name, and the agenda topic on which you will be speaking. No one has come forward, so we shall continue. The purpose of this meeting is to comply with the requirements of Nebraska revised statute section 13-506 as amended by Laws 2020 LB 148, which requires each governing body shall each year or by annual biennial period conduct a public hearing on its proposed budget statement. Such hearing shall be held separately from any regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body and shall not be limited by time. Notice of the place and time of such hearing, together with a summary of the proposed budget statement, shall be published at least four calendar days prior to the date set for hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within the governing body's jurisdiction. At such hearing, the governing body shall make at least three copies of the proposed budget statement available to the public and shall make a presentation outlining key provisions of the proposed budget statement, including but not limited to a comparison with the prior year's budget. Any member of the public desiring to speak on the proposed budget statement shall be allowed to address the governing body at the hearing and shall be given a reasonable amount of time to do so. After such hearing, the proposed budget statement shall be adopted or amended and adopted as amended, and a written record shall be kept of such hearing. The amount to be received from personal and real property taxation shall be certified to the levying board after the proposed budget statement is adopted or is amended and adopted as amended. There will be no council action taken during this meeting. We'll now take up agenda item 6A, public hearing on fiscal year 2026 to 2027, annual single city budget, and annual appropriations bill. Mr. Brown. Thank you, Mayor. Good evening, Council. This is our budget review for the fiscal year 2027.
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