Lake Havasu City Council Regular Meeting (Final Budget Adoption) - June 24, 2025
Lake Havasu City Council Regular Meeting (Final Budget Adoption) - June 24, 2025
The Lake Havasu City Council held a Regular Meeting on June 24, 2025, at 5:30 PM in Council Chambers. The primary focus was the final adoption of the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget and a Truth in Taxation hearing on the property tax levy. All seven council members were present, and all votes were unanimous 7-0. The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM and adjourned at 6:28 PM, with a brief adjournment to a special meeting for the budget adoption item.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the June 10, 2025, Regular Meeting Minutes.
- Approved Resolution No. 25-3846 appointing the Chief Fiscal Officer for FY 2025-26.
- Approved Resolution No. 25-3849 authorizing grant applications for traffic signal backplates.
- Approved Resolution No. 25-3854 authorizing grant applications for police recruitment and community policing.
- Scheduled an Executive Session for July 8, 2025, at 4:30 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bonny Toy addressed the council during the Truth in Taxation hearing, expressing concern that property taxes increase when property values rise, even if the tax rate remains unchanged. She later, during the Call to the Public, requested more cooling stations in the city and better handicap accessibility, noting that one in four people in Mohave County deal with disability issues.
- No public comments were made on other agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Liquor Licenses (7.1, 7.2): The council held public hearings for a Series #6 bar liquor license for Loco's Bar and Cocina (150 Swanson Avenue) and a Series #12 restaurant liquor license for Buffalo Wild Wings (5601 Highway 95, Building I). All posting requirements were met, fees paid, and no objections received. Both were recommended for approval to the state.
- Board Appointments (7.3-7.6): The council appointed members to the Board of Adjustment (Karen Bohler, Larry Heller, Derek Ross), Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (Paige Allgood, Dale McCormick, William Byers, Filomena Roberts, Jimmie Brooks), Planning & Zoning Commission (Joan Dzuro, Paul Lehr, Tiffany Wilson, Phil Annett), and the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Local Police and Fire Boards (Phillip Shannon). All appointments were unanimous.
- Ordinance Amendment (7.7): Adopted Ordinance No. 25-1363 amending City Code Section 9.30.070 to revise concrete pouring start hours and summertime dates in compliance with new state law (SB 1182). Councilmember Dolan expressed disappointment that the state legislature removed local control over such decisions.
- Truth in Taxation Hearing (7.8): Administrative Services Director Jill Olsen presented the proposed FY 2025-26 property tax levy. The tax rate remains unchanged at $0.6718 per $100 assessed value for the eighth consecutive year. The assessed value increased from $1,006,462,783 (FY 2024-25) to $1,070,479,459 (FY 2025-26), resulting in a levy of $7,191,481, which is $430,064 more than the prior year (of which $116,000 is from new construction). The additional annual tax on a $100,000 home is $2.98. Only 6.7 cents of every property tax dollar goes to the city. The council approved the levy to be formally assessed at the July 8, 2025 meeting.
- Final Budget Adoption (7.10): The council adopted Resolution No. 25-3847 adopting the FY 2025-26 final budget in the amount of $278,826,640. The budget is identical to the tentative budget adopted on June 10, 2025. Mayor Sheehy highlighted that the budget keeps the tax rate flat, funds infrastructure and water/wastewater projects without debt financing, and supports city staff and projects like Fire Station 7 and the Parks Master Plan.
- Oracle Cloud Managed Services (7.12): Approved a Statement of Work with Camptra Technologies LLC for Oracle Cloud support for FY 2025-26 in the amount of $150,000. This provides technical assistance for the city’s Human Capital Management and Enterprise Resource Planning modules.
- Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (7.13): Approved the Microsoft Enterprise Enrollment Agreement for volume software licensing. The agreement renews every three years; this renewal moves the city from G3 to G5 licensing level to enhance cybersecurity. Total cost is $516,997.99 per year plus applicable taxes for the next three years. The council also authorized the use of approximately $197,016.60 in contingency funds plus taxes for FY 2025-26 to cover the first-year cost difference. CIO Jonathan Baskette explained that the upgrade provides advanced security features, encrypted messaging, and predictive analytics to combat increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Key Outcomes
- All 13 public hearing items passed unanimously (7-0).
- The FY 2025-26 final budget of $278,826,640 was adopted.
- The property tax levy rate was kept at $0.6718 per $100 assessed value, with the levy amount set at $7,191,481.
- The Microsoft Enterprise Agreement upgrade to G5 level was approved, with contingency funds authorized.
- The council recognized the retirement of Michael Ingram (Public Works, 27 years) and announced upcoming events including free swim days, the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival, and Parks and Recreation Month activities.
- Councilmember Campbell, as RTAC chair, presented a video advocating for federal transportation funding reform for rural communities.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome. I call to order the Lake Havasu City Council regular meeting and also our final budget adoption on Tuesday, June 24th, 2025 at 5.30 p.m. We'll start with a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Melanie Preston with the Lake Havasu Ballet. Thank you. And now we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance. I Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under Godisible with liberty and justice for all. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak for Bally Havasu today. My name is Melanie Preston. I'm the director of Bally Havasu, and I brought with me Heather Crawford, our current president and Amelia, one of our dancers. Ballet Havasu is more than just a dance studio. We are a nonprofit committed to enriching the lives of young people and our community through the art of classical ballet and dance education. Our mission is to have a safe, inclusive, and inspiring environment where our students can grow, not only as dancers, but as confident, compassionate individuals. We serve children as young as 18 months all the way up to adults with classes that range from classical ballet to point, character dance, and workshops. We are incredibly proud to be a part of Lake Havasu City, and we believe the arts are a vital piece of our city's identity and future. We are always looking for ways to partner with local businesses and sponsors and supporters to help make the performing arts accessible to all. Thank you for your continued support of our local arts and education. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here today. All right. Item four is the roll call. Ms. Williams, if you please call the roll. Council members Nancy Campbell. Here. Jenny Koch. Here. Jim Dolan. Here. David Diaz. Here. Cameron Moses. Here. Vice Mayor Michelle Lynn. Mayor Cal Sheeghi. Here. Thank you. Thank you. Item five is our consent agenda. Would any of the council members like to remove any of the items for separate discussion? Mayor. Councilmember Koch. Second. We have a motion from Councilmember Koch, a second from Councilmember Moses. We are ready to vote. Motion carries 7-0. Thank you. Item six is our correspondence communications petitions, announcements, and the city manager report. Item 6.1 is the fiscal year 2024-25 third quarter contracted agency report for Haven Family Resource Center.
openpublica.com