Waite Park City Council to Review 2026 Property Tax Levy and General Funds Budget Monday Night

(KNSI) — The Waite Park City Council on Monday night will go over the revised and lowered property tax levy for the 2026 fiscal year.

The preliminary property tax levy initially proposed earlier this month has been revised downward. The original total was $13,300,843, but it was reduced after the city determined it now has enough money to cover the principal and interest payments due in 2025 on its Taxable General Obligation Bonds.

The general fund levy remained constant at $11,660,361. However, the 2016A general obligation tax abatement levy dropped from $519,550 to $184,550, and debt service levies decreased from $1,120,932 to $998,289, primarily due to the elimination of certain bond obligations.

This brings the total levy to $12,843,200 — a reduction of $457,643.

The council will also look at the preliminary 2026 general funds budget, which was released on September 15th. The total revenues and expenditures are set at $14,191,506.

The Police Department would see the largest increase of over $327,800, with over $5 million for personnel and investments in digital audio and video equipment. The city would also like to buy new police cars and other safety equipment.

Public Works operations would receive a $278,000 increase to $2.04 million to cover infrastructure maintenance by allowing for the purchase of specialized equipment, including snow removal attachments, maintenance vehicles, and an industrial vacuum truck for utility work.

The Fire Department budget would grow by more than $224,000 to $1.36 million, for new salary allocations and health insurance benefits. Capital improvements include funding for firefighter safety equipment and contributions to the Engine 2 replacement fund.

Engineering services would get a $100,000 hike to a total of $1.93 million, primarily due to increased construction costs for capital improvement projects throughout the city.

In a separate action, the council will review and set the 2026 rural tax rates. The proposed percentage is set to increase by 5.491%, matching the urban tax rate percentage increase from 2025.

The meeting will get underway at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Cloud Area School District Administration Office at 1201 2nd Street South in Waite Park.

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