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The main item on the council agenda last week in Taylors Falls was action adopting a preliminary maximum levy for 2026 and the budget plan. Council voted 5-0 for the proposed 14 percent increase and scheduled the taxation public hearing for November 24 at 6 p.m. at city hall.

The council members pointed out why the double digit hike is proposed but predicted that by the December deadline for the final levy, there will be a reduction.  

“We’ll be working to get there (down),” Council member Robert Bayer promised. The next couple of years, however, will be tough, he observed. Taylors Falls had borrowed for high priority projects like city hall maintenance and repairs and a fire truck, and the existing debt service sum doesn’t expire just yet.

Among big ticket line items there were: 

Street improvements were increased for 2026. Paving and engineering fees are proposed to go from $90,000 budgeted to $152,500.  Other professional services are subject to inflation and in 2026 legal services are up from $15,000 to $26,700 and audit services go to $26,450 from $18,600.  Wages have increased an average of 11 percent. 

The borrowing to pay for city hall roof replacement and for fire truck/equipment is slated for annual payments of $123,508. 

The Parks Improvement line item is being replenished after some projects have drained this fund and proposed tax for this line in 2026 is $17,000 versus $9,944 in 2025.  

Even the equipment rental fees are going up, the skidsteer lease will be $3,000 in 2026 and it was $1,500 this year.

In total the council proposed a property tax collection of $623,339 for 2026.  The property  tax collected this year  in local levy was $571,694. 

Council also spent some time discussing the big city hall roofing project that is scheduled to be underway by the time this article is published.  The council members are taking turns being available to monitor the work and sign-off on change orders  and prerequisites to qualify as automatic change orders were drafted. The project has also been revised to include the front awning as part of the work. There was a $40,000 contingency and a “canopy allowance” of $20,000 built into the project budget which are available.

The Folsom Street stormsewer replacement was tabled for additional engineering.

Zoning Administrator Elizabeth Haas and citizen Molly Irish had attended a recent small cities forum put on by the Initiative Foundation.  Taylors Falls is one of five small towns awarded a $5,000 grant to use towards firming up plans for a project that reaffirms community assets and connections.  Haas asked the council to think about what’s at the top of their list to apply the $5,000 towards.  Haas and Irish had pretty much focused on trails and gathering spaces in their discussions at the Thriving Communities forum, Haas explained,  but the grant uses are still undefined.  The other towns that were awarded a grant include Sebeka, Staples, Motley and Braham.

Council also approved Bingo applications for Nov 21 and during the Lighting Festival Nov 29.

The city council meeting was moved into private session to consult with the attorney on a lawsuit,  related to a recent council denial of a request to “detach” a property from the city. The owner wants to annex into Shafer Township. The subject parcel is at 896 St Croix Trail.

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