OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City of Mesquite FY 2026-2027 Tentative Budget Work Session – April 7, 2026

City Council & Committees — Tuesday, April 7, 2026
BodyMesquite, Nevada
SessionCity Council & Committees
DateTuesday, April 7, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 53:46

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:03

Um we're gonna have public comment first if there is any.

0:06

So um this welcome to our uh City of Mesquite uh budget work session Tuesday, April 7th, 2026.

0:15

We're gonna start off with opening public comment if there is any.

0:21

I may not have another opportunity.

0:23

Rick McIntyre.

0:24

Uh I may not have another opportunity.

0:26

So really quick.

0:27

Um, I think you did a beautiful job of appointing the committee to go over the short-term rental thing.

0:33

I loved every one of them.

0:35

Every one of your appointments was so good.

0:37

Uh great committee.

0:38

I thought we worked very well together as a group and came to some conclusions we're done with that.

0:43

It'll be coming to you in a couple of weeks.

0:45

Uh, but uh Vanessa Giebink, David Newfeld, Sherry Hollenbeck, Natalie Hafen, and Amy Gardner, terrific people.

0:53

Thank you for the wisdom you put forward to put a group of people together that were, I thought, really, really good.

0:59

Also, Marco Aguilar from the clerk's office and uh Jesslyn uh from uh Public Works or from Jesslin Levitt were absolutely amazing, terrific people.

1:10

Uh they were super good, great good sense of humor, and at the same time very professional about everything, and they did a fabulous job for us.

1:18

So, anyway, it's all good.

1:19

Thank you very much for the great work you did to put such a good committee together.

1:22

Thank you.

1:23

Thanks, Rick.

1:26

Okay.

1:26

Seeing no one else come forward, we're gonna turn the time over to Becca and Bryce.

1:32

Oh did you come on?

1:38

Uh it's public comment.

1:39

You can talk about whatever you want.

1:41

Um, the the when we actually talk about it will be next Tuesday at the regular city council meeting, but if you have something to say about it, yeah, go right ahead.

1:48

Um I know a lot of people have concerns.

1:52

Oh, Brandon Grimes.

1:53

Uh Grimes.

1:56

Um I there is a waterway that runs through that property, and and I don't know if it's being addressed as far as contaminants that will likely get leached into it.

2:10

Um I I have vast concerns about the storm drainage and the wildlife and everything that's gonna come off from from the pavement.

2:20

So I hope that that is a consideration.

2:24

Um as well as the roundabouts.

2:27

I mean, a triple trailer truck going through there.

2:31

It's it's not gonna be good, but I trust you guys are all considering all that.

2:38

Thank you.

2:38

Thank you, Brandon.

2:48

Don Swanson, 1008 Hapsway.

2:52

Uh I'm here for the truck stop thing.

2:56

I've talked to tons of neighbors in Coyote Willows, and we're definitely against that because of the roundabout.

3:03

We're just concerned that that's gonna clog it up and the big semis coming through there.

3:08

I know it's not as big a concern going south northbound on it as it is southbound, because they don't have to go through the completely underneath the interstate, but the people that I've talked to are definitely against the truck stop going in that thing.

3:25

And I just want to let you know.

3:27

Thanks, John.

3:37

Jennifer MacDeff.

3:39

It is really hard to typically render me speechless, but after learning about this information over the course of the last 48 hours or so, it is mind-bending to me as a resident of Sunset Greens to even have to consider a large-scale truck stop like QT is proposing and putting in the noise, the noise pollution, the exhaust pollution.

4:04

If I were a homeowner that had just built a home directly across the street from there, a brand new home, I would do everything in my power to file a lawsuit to impede this whole transaction.

4:15

And you can be rest assured.

4:16

I may not live there, but I live in Sunset Greens, and I this is the hill I will die on.

4:22

This cannot happen.

4:24

This is a residential community, and to have something that large scale placed into that crammed little space to affect all of the new homeowners as well as those who have lived there for 25 years.

4:35

You know, propose this up in Sun City and see how they respond.

4:39

Because I've seen pitchforks and and torches from the members of them on the other side of the hill.

4:44

And I feel like everything that we do, we're asked to just you know take it in the shorts and deal with it because that's what it is.

4:51

No, no, no, thank you.

4:54

Please take into consideration what truck stops bring to a community.

4:59

I'm from the Midwest.

5:00

I've traveled along the I-80 corridor.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis█████████████████████████████████████████████63%
Public Safety███████████████21%
Short Term Rentals████5%
Procedural████5%
Public Engagement██3%
Capital Improvement Planning██3%
Summary of Proceedings

City of Mesquite FY 2026-2027 Tentative Budget Work Session – April 7, 2026

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Mesquite City Council held a budget work session to review and discuss the proposed tentative FY 2026-2027 fund revenues, expenditures, and departmental budgets. The meeting included public comment, a presentation by Finance Director Bryce Anderson and Becca Schrupp, and extensive council discussion. The council did not take formal action on the budget but provided direction to staff to explore additional revenue sources and return with a revised proposal prior to the final budget submission deadline of June 1, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Rick McIntyre praised the council's appointments to the short-term rental committee and thanked staff for their work on the committee.
  • Brandon Grimes expressed concerns about a proposed truck stop (QT) near a waterway, citing potential contaminants, storm drainage, wildlife impacts, and roundabout issues for triple-trailer trucks.
  • Don Swanson (Coyote Willows resident) stated that neighbors are "definitely against" the truck stop due to concerns about roundabout congestion and semi-truck traffic.
  • Jennifer MacDeff (Sunset Greens resident) voiced strong opposition to the proposed QT truck stop, citing noise, exhaust pollution, potential crime, and negative impact on property values. She stated she would attend every meeting to oppose the proposal.
  • Tony Celeste, representing Quick Trips, introduced himself and offered to discuss the proposed application with residents outside the meeting.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Overview: Bryce Anderson and Becca Schrupp presented the tentative FY 2026-2027 budget. Key points:
    • Projected C tax revenue: $14.9 million (increase of $115,942 over last year).
    • Projected property tax revenue: $7.6 million (increase of $487,012).
    • Total projected general fund revenues: $35.5 million, described as "fiscally conservative."
    • Current year (FY 2025-2026) projected surplus of ~$200,000; FY 2026-2027 shows a general fund deficit of ~$200,000 with revenues vs. expenses.
    • General fund balance: FY 2024-2025 ended at $4.6 million; projected to end FY 2025-2026 at $4.8 million; FY 2026-2027 projected at $4.6 million.
    • General fund expenses by function: public safety 52%, public works 11%, general government 17%, judicial 2%, health and sanitation 7%.
    • Staffing: proposed increase of 5 full-time equivalents, including 6 additional patrol officers funded by the "More Cops" fund (separate from general fund).
    • Capital projects included in the budget: airport project ($775,000 city share after FAA grant), canyon crest boulevard, Virgin River levy project, Casablanca traffic signal, John Deere Drive construction, HAWK signal at Bertha Howe and Falcon Ridge.
    • Projects not in the budget (total ~$9.9 million): new landfill design ($275,000), Pioneer Park field turf replacement ($3.65 million), MRED retaining wall replacement, Jensen Park playground ($200,000, to be moved to park fund), and two additional firefighter/EMTs.
  • Council Concerns:
    • Councilman Fielding noted the lack of funds for firefighter/EMTs to staff the new fire station and questioned the budget process.
    • Councilman Wallace warned that the city has not raised fees for decades and now faces a deficit; he advocated for raising sewer, garbage, and impact fees.
    • Councilman Ennis stated the budget shows the city is "basically broke" and emphasized prioritizing fire department staffing and police officers, even if it means deferring other projects.
    • Councilman Parish proposed considering a property tax increase (up to 8% ceiling, which could generate ~$900,000) and exploring other fees.
    • Councilwoman Gallo clarified that the "More Cops" fund is a permanent sales-tax source and can be used for police but not for fire or animal control (which requires POST-certified officers).
    • Councilwoman Fielding and others noted the need to raise fees and explore grants to avoid future deficits.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal vote was taken on the tentative budget; the item remains for future action.
  • Council directed staff to:
    • Reassess the budget and identify additional revenue sources (e.g., fee increases, property tax increase, grants).
    • Explore funding options for priority items: staffing the new fire station, additional police officers (via the More Cops fund), and critical capital projects.
    • Provide a clearer breakdown of fund sources and long-term sustainability.
  • The tentative budget must be approved and sent to the Nevada Department of Taxation by April 15, 2026; final budget is due June 1, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. Um we're gonna have public comment first if there is any. So um this welcome to our uh City of Mesquite uh budget work session Tuesday, April 7th, 2026. We're gonna start off with opening public comment if there is any. I may not have another opportunity. Rick McIntyre. Uh I may not have another opportunity. So really quick. Um, I think you did a beautiful job of appointing the committee to go over the short-term rental thing. I loved every one of them. Every one of your appointments was so good. Uh great committee. I thought we worked very well together as a group and came to some conclusions we're done with that. It'll be coming to you in a couple of weeks. Uh, but uh Vanessa Giebink, David Newfeld, Sherry Hollenbeck, Natalie Hafen, and Amy Gardner, terrific people. Thank you for the wisdom you put forward to put a group of people together that were, I thought, really, really good. Also, Marco Aguilar from the clerk's office and uh Jesslyn uh from uh Public Works or from Jesslin Levitt were absolutely amazing, terrific people. Uh they were super good, great good sense of humor, and at the same time very professional about everything, and they did a fabulous job for us. So, anyway, it's all good. Thank you very much for the great work you did to put such a good committee together. Thank you. Thanks, Rick. Okay. Seeing no one else come forward, we're gonna turn the time over to Becca and Bryce. Oh did you come on? Uh it's public comment. You can talk about whatever you want. Um, the the when we actually talk about it will be next Tuesday at the regular city council meeting, but if you have something to say about it, yeah, go right ahead. Um I know a lot of people have concerns. Oh, Brandon Grimes. Uh Grimes. Um I there is a waterway that runs through that property, and and I don't know if it's being addressed as far as contaminants that will likely get leached into it. Um I I have vast concerns about the storm drainage and the wildlife and everything that's gonna come off from from the pavement. So I hope that that is a consideration. Um as well as the roundabouts. I mean, a triple trailer truck going through there. It's it's not gonna be good, but I trust you guys are all considering all that. Thank you. Thank you, Brandon. Don Swanson, 1008 Hapsway. Uh I'm here for the truck stop thing. I've talked to tons of neighbors in Coyote Willows, and we're definitely against that because of the roundabout. We're just concerned that that's gonna clog it up and the big semis coming through there. I know it's not as big a concern going south northbound on it as it is southbound, because they don't have to go through the completely underneath the interstate, but the people that I've talked to are definitely against the truck stop going in that thing. And I just want to let you know. Thanks, John. Jennifer MacDeff. It is really hard to typically render me speechless, but after learning about this information over the course of the last 48 hours or so, it is mind-bending to me as a resident of Sunset Greens to even have to consider a large-scale truck stop like QT is proposing and putting in the noise, the noise pollution, the exhaust pollution. If I were a homeowner that had just built a home directly across the street from there, a brand new home, I would do everything in my power to file a lawsuit to impede this whole transaction. And you can be rest assured.

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