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Record of Proceedings

Scottsbluff City Council Special Meeting on FY 2026-2027 Budget - August 31, 2026

City Council — Monday, August 31, 2026
BodyScottsbluff, Nebraska
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, August 31, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 24:42

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

4:20

To order the last year, Phillips.

4:26

Here, Solomon.

4:28

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

No other business may shall be transacted at the special meeting unless all council members are present to consent and the city council declares the existence of an emergency.

Speaker 1

5:08

Public hearing.

5:11

So for our public hearing, if there's anyone who intends to speak at the public hearing, if they could please stand now and raise your right hand.

5:24

Does Lane need to

Speaker 2

5:27

speak?

5:28

I'm

Speaker 1

5:28

not planning

Unassigned speaker

5:29

on

Speaker 2

5:29

it.

5:29

Well,

Speaker 1

5:29

you might switch it if you will.

5:33

Okay.

5:34

Um

Unassigned speaker

5:35

do

Speaker 1

5:35

you swear and affirm that the statements you make tonight to the city today to the city council are true and accurate.

5:40

Say I do.

Speaker 3

5:41

I

Speaker 1

5:42

do.

5:42

Okay.

5:43

Thank you.

5:44

So let's open the public hearing.

5:47

Council to conduct a public hearing set for this date at 12 p.m.

5:51

for the purpose of hearing support, opposition criticism, suggestions, or observations of taxpayers relating to the fiscal year 26-27 budget.

6:01

Go ahead and read this first.

6:03

Okay.

6:08

Fiscal year 27 budgeted government-wide total revenues are 75 million 266,460.

6:17

This increase is due largely to the budgeted bond for the aquatic center pending LB 357 approval.

6:24

The fifth fiscal year 26 budgeted government-wide total revenues was 39,000 39,087,540.

6:34

Fiscal year 27 budgeted revenues general fund only, 12,177,575.

6:43

Fiscal year 26 budgeted revenues general fund only was 11 million 997,719.

6:53

Fiscal year 27, budgeted sales tax revenues, 9,750,000.

7:00

This increase is due to trends in sales tax as well as pending LB 357 vote.

7:25

Also $3,590,839.

7:30

Fiscal year 27 budgeted government-wide total expenditures $94,919,539.

7:39

This includes the cap capital expenditures of $40,000 five hundred and thirty-seven dollars.

7:50

And contingencies five million six hundred thousand.

8:02

That included capital expenditures of 10 million eight hundred ninety-six thousand.

8:10

Contingencies, four million four hundred and fifty thousand.

8:18

Excludes debt, capital expenditures and contingencies, 47,952,200.

8:27

Fiscal year budgeted total operating expenses excludes debt, capital expenditures, and contingencies was $42,485,493.

8:39

The fiscal year 27 budgeted expenses, general fund $15,717,642.

8:47

Fiscal year 26 budgeted expenses, general fund $15,118,549.

8:55

Fiscal year 27 budgeted operating expense general fund without capital improvements.

9:20

The fiscal year 27 budgeted FTEs that are authorized is 140.

9:25

And the fiscal year 26 budgeted FTEs that were authorized was 138.

Speaker 4

9:37

Okay.

9:44

Okay.

9:45

Comments.

Speaker 1

9:45

Any questions, comments.

Speaker 5

9:54

Do you have

Speaker 1

9:55

any questions, comments?

Speaker 5

9:56

Go ahead, Jerry.

9:58

Okay.

Unassigned speaker

10:00

On the spending, it's higher, but one of that's the swimming pool uh vote coming in the fall.

Speaker 5

10:04

Yeah.

10:05

And then I believe there's another one that's dependent on a grant.

10:08

It's for the streets.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████████████████████████████████62%
Procedural████████████17%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████11%
Public Engagement███████10%
Summary of Proceedings

Scottsbluff City Council Special Meeting on FY 2026-2027 Budget

The Scottsbluff City Council held a special meeting on August 31, 2026, at 12:00 PM to conduct a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget. (Note: The official agenda schedules the meeting for 12:00 PM, although the transcript contains references to 'tonight,' indicating a potential discrepancy between the formal schedule and the recorded discussion.) Staff presented a budget reflecting a significant increase in total government-wide revenues and expenditures compared to the prior year, heavily influenced by pending grants and the LB 357 bond issue.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • The public hearing was opened and staff member Lane was sworn in to present the budget and answer questions. No members of the general public provided testimony, criticism, or comments.

Discussion Items

  • Budget Overview: Staff member Lane presented the FY 2026-2027 budget. Total government-wide revenues were budgeted at $75,266,460 (up from $39,087,540 in FY 2025-2026). Total expenditures were budgeted at $94,919,539. Authorized full-time equivalents (FTEs) increased from 138 to 140.
  • Contingent Spending Strategy: The budget includes revenue and expenditures for grants not yet awarded (including a safe streets grant and a $1 million Hunts Acres water main project) and pending LB 357 approval for the aquatic center. Staff explained this was done to avoid the need for a budget amendment later if the funding is secured.
  • Transfer Station and Sanitation Capital Projects: Council discussed the $6.2 million transfer station project budgeted in the sanitation fund. Proceeds from equipment appraisals (excavator and shredder) related to the dissolution of the Gearing co-op were reviewed, with staff estimating over $800,000 will be returned to the city.
  • City Hall Improvements: A $300,000 allocation for upgrades to city hall, including potential audio/visual equipment improvements, was noted.
  • Property Tax and Mill Levy: Staff highlighted that the city is maintaining a flat property tax ask of $2.85 million for the fourth consecutive year. The mill levy was reduced from 178 to 164 to achieve this. Staff characterized the resulting rate as the lowest in the state for a municipality.
  • Board and Commission Vacancies: Council reviewed the process for filling expiring board terms, noting that vacancies are advertised on Facebook, which has been an effective recruitment tool.

Key Outcomes

  • The public hearing was formally closed with no public opposition or input recorded.
  • The city council voted unanimously to adjourn the special meeting.
  • Staff communicated the administration's strategy of holding the property tax ask flat for four years. Council members expressed that the budget increase was palatable due to its heavy reliance on sales tax revenue rather than property tax.

Meeting Transcript

To order the last year, Phillips. Here, Solomon. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. No other business may shall be transacted at the special meeting unless all council members are present to consent and the city council declares the existence of an emergency. Public hearing. So for our public hearing, if there's anyone who intends to speak at the public hearing, if they could please stand now and raise your right hand. Does Lane need to speak? I'm not planning on it. Well, you might switch it if you will. Okay. Um do you swear and affirm that the statements you make tonight to the city today to the city council are true and accurate. Say I do. I do. Okay. Thank you. So let's open the public hearing. Council to conduct a public hearing set for this date at 12 p.m. for the purpose of hearing support, opposition criticism, suggestions, or observations of taxpayers relating to the fiscal year 26-27 budget. Go ahead and read this first. Okay. Fiscal year 27 budgeted government-wide total revenues are 75 million 266,460. This increase is due largely to the budgeted bond for the aquatic center pending LB 357 approval. The fifth fiscal year 26 budgeted government-wide total revenues was 39,000 39,087,540. Fiscal year 27 budgeted revenues general fund only, 12,177,575. Fiscal year 26 budgeted revenues general fund only was 11 million 997,719. Fiscal year 27, budgeted sales tax revenues, 9,750,000. This increase is due to trends in sales tax as well as pending LB 357 vote. Also $3,590,839. Fiscal year 27 budgeted government-wide total expenditures $94,919,539. This includes the cap capital expenditures of $40,000 five hundred and thirty-seven dollars. And contingencies five million six hundred thousand. That included capital expenditures of 10 million eight hundred ninety-six thousand. Contingencies, four million four hundred and fifty thousand. Excludes debt, capital expenditures and contingencies, 47,952,200. Fiscal year budgeted total operating expenses excludes debt, capital expenditures, and contingencies was $42,485,493. The fiscal year 27 budgeted expenses, general fund $15,717,642. Fiscal year 26 budgeted expenses, general fund $15,118,549. Fiscal year 27 budgeted operating expense general fund without capital improvements. The fiscal year 27 budgeted FTEs that are authorized is 140. And the fiscal year 26 budgeted FTEs that were authorized was 138. Okay. Okay.

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