09/08/2026 Minutes Special Meeting CITY OF GRAND ISLAND,NEBRASKA
MINUTES OF CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
September 8, 2026
Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Grand Island, Nebraska was conducted in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 100 East First
Street, on September 8, 2026. Notice of the meeting was given in The Grand Island Independent
on August 26, 2026.
Mayor Roger G. Steele called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The following City
Councilmembers were present: Jack Sheard, Mark Stelk, Jason Conley, Mitch Nickerson, Doug
Brown, Chuck Haase, Maggie Mendoza, Ryan O'Neill and Doug Lanfear. The following City
Officials were present: City Administrator Patrick Brown, City Clerk Jill Granere, City Attorney
Kari Fisk and Public Works Director Keith Kurz.
The PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was said.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 Annual Single City Budget and the Annual Appropriations
Bill. City Administrator/CFO Patrick Brown reported that the following was a comparison of the
fiscal year 2027 proposed budget to the FY2026 adopted budget:
• The proposed FY2027 budget disbursements and transfers were 1.0% or $3,441,163
higher than the adopted FY2026 budget. The difference was mainly due to inflationary
pressures and decrease in revenues.
• All Funds Revenue projections for FY2027 decreased 5.94% or $18,236,059 over
FY2026 budget.
• 2026 Valuations for the City of Grand Island increased over the 2025 valuation by
$304,336,184 or 6.0%. If the City applied the FY2026 mill levy of 0.2415 to the new
valuation of$5,359,528,585 the City's Property Tax revenue would be $12,942,467, a tax
increase of $854,505 over the prior year. The City and Community Redevelopment
Authority tax ask for FY2027 was $13,007,831.
• The City was requesting the same property tax ask that was in FY2025-2026. Property
Tax Ask of$12,208,841 to the new valuation decreased the mill levy to 0.227797. CRA
property tax ask was $798,990 which was the same tax ask in the prior year. The CRA
mill levy would decrease from 0.015805 to 0.014908.
• Total Sales Tax revenue was forecasted at $30,200,000 for FY2027. It was a 1.6% or
$479,704 increase over FY2026 budget. The increase line with the recent trend in sales
tax for Grand Island but slightly lower than forecasted inflationary data.
• All other revenue sources in the General Fund account for $23,048,532. A decrease over
FY2026 budget of$(472,982) or-2.0%. The decrease was in line with the recent trend for
Grand Island.
• A decrease in Transfers FY2027 by $10,447,565 to $15,574,000 over FY2026. This was
due to maintaining normal transfers between funds and not using excess reserves for
projects.
Page 2,City Council Special Meeting,September 8,2026
There are no additional full-time equivalents (FTE's) or reclassification approved for FY2027.
Reviewed were the Capital Improvement Projects and Equipment Purchases for FY2027:
• Building: $35,000.00
• Cemetery: $30,000.00
• Electric Utility: $17,490,321.00
• Emergency Management: $158,000.00
• Finance: $215,000.00
• Fire and Ambulance: $1,741,650.00
• Heartland Public Shooting Park: $650,234.69
• Jackrabbit Run Golf Course: $202,060.00
• Library: $70,000.00
• Parks Operations: $65,000.00
• Parks & Recreation: $13,847,000.00
• Parks Capital Equipment: $33,000.00
• Police: $1,260,050.00
• Public Works: $21,124,950.00
• Solid Waste: $3,820,000.00
• Wastewater Utility: $8,354,635.28
• Water Utility: $1,742,090.00
Total: $70,910,990.97
Gerald Poels spoke in regards to the spending of tax payers money.
Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 General Property and Community Redevelopment Authority
(CRA) Tax Request. City Administrator/CFO Patrick Brown reported that the 2026 Valuations
for the City of Grand Island increased over the 2025 valuation by $304,336,184 or 6.0%. If the
City applies the FY2025-2026 mill levy of 0.241485 to the new valuation of$5,359,528,585, the
City's Property Tax revenue would be $14,060,290, a tax increase of $605,483 over the prior
year. The City and Community Redevelopment Authority tax ask for FY2026 is $13,007,831.
The following is a breakdown of mill levies for City General and CRA property tax request.
Entity 26 Mill Levy 27 Proposed Mill Levy
• City General Property Tax Levy 0.241485 0.227797
• For CRA 0.015805 0.014908
• Total Property Tax Levy 0.257290 0.242705
No public testimony was heard.
Public Hearing on FY 2026-2027 Annual Budget for Parking District #2 (Ramp) Tax Request.
City Administrator/CFO Patrick Brown reported that the 2026 Valuation for the Downtown
Improvement District #2 (Ramp) increased over the 2025 valuation by $5,520,276 or 5.9%. The
Downtown Improvement District #2 (Ramp) was not requesting an increase in Property Tax
thereby decreasing the mill levy from 0.009711 to 0.009710. The Downtown Improvement
Page 3,City Council Special Meeting,September 8,2026
District #2 (Ramp) Property Tax revenue request was $9,090. If the Downtown Improvement
District #2 (Ramp) applied the 2026 mill levy to the new valuation of $99,122,359, it would
result in a tax increase of$536.09 to $9,626.09. No public testimony was heard.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m.
(%)(0.-itt-r(—
Ji Granere
City Clerk