Cold Spring Council Chooses No-Frills Government Center Remodel, Finalizes 2026 Budget with 3.32% Tax Rate Increase

(KNSI) – The Cold Spring City Council went with the no frills option for the remodeled government center at Wednesday’s meeting.

Administrator Kris Dockendorf shares the details. “They decided on no construction of a garage and to just keep the existing garage. So with that, then there would also be no additional parking added, because we would keep our parking lot.”

It was the third time the issue had come before the council. Originally, there was only one alternative design that called for a six-stall garage and parking. Council asked for another choice in which the garage was reduced to two stalls. When that was first discussed on November 26th, a member was absent, so the group held open the issue until this week.

The council also heard from residents Wednesday during the truth-in-taxation hearing on the 2026 budget, where they voted to stay the course. The group finalized the financial blueprint originally passed in September without any changes. The budget calls for a tax rate increase of 3.32%. If there is no change in valuation, that equates to a tax bump of about $33 per year for the owner of a $200,000 home. The average property value is rising by 3.15%, so the actual increase will likely be higher.

The Cold Spring General Fund is over $1.8 million for the first time ever.

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