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A maximum levy and budget for 2026 was adopted on a 4-1 vote by the Wyoming City Council last week. Linda Nanko Yeager voted no without comment.  The public discussion about finalizing Wyoming budget details takes place December 2, at city hall. at 7 p.m. and the sums adopted last week may be decreased but legally can not be increased.

Wyoming is preliminarily looking at an 8.4 percent hike for 2026 adding $488,000 for a host of budget funds.

In a breakdown of the levies; the city EDA stays the same at $15,000, the Capital Equipment levy is going up $222,000.  The Library line item is the same as it was for 2025 at $45,150.  The Parks Fund stays at $30,000.  Debt Service payoff needs are decreasing due to a 2015 bond being retired —but the 2024 bond shows up in the city expenses needing $74,000 annually, putting the amount being paid on debt service at a proposed $574,000 in total.   The street replacement fund was created a few years ago to support roadwork shared expenses and continues to be built up. For 2026 $100,000 is a dedicated amount bringing the budget for the fund annually to $600,000.  

Mayor Lisa Iverson remarked that having the account to help with road costs seems to be helping the city tackle long-neglected maintenance and repairs compared to what was the situation 10 years ago. 

City Administrator Robb Linwood confirmed the city is “...taking care of what it has” and being proactive, with rankings of roadways from “worst to first.” 

The city’s tax RATE is projected to increase to 42.68 percent from the current 41 percent.  Wyoming is among the top rates of cities in Chisago County. The county auditor’s office provided the pay-2025 rate sheet to the Press.   Wyoming for 2025 taxes was number five.  

The current top three jurisdictions are:  Taylors Falls, Shafer and Lindstrom. (See sidebar story.)

Wyoming calculates the increase in property tax for a $200,000 house will be $25 per year if the proposed 2026 levy is made final in December. For a $300,000 house it is $42 per year and for a $500,000 commercial parcel the hike is projected to increase tax $137 per year.

The council also set an assessment hearing for the citizen share of the 2025 street improvements.  There will be a total of $85,020 to be assessed back onto benefitting properties at an estimated $1,635 per parcel.  This is slightly lower than what the engineering feasibility report placed it at.  The hearing is October 21 at 7 p.m.

No private assessments are pending on the work done to the trail.  The properties impacted by street assessments are in the areas of Greenwood Court,  Grizzly Court, Grand Prix Court, Grail Court,  and 256th from Gramford east of Grizzly Court.

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