Oak Grove City Council — Transcript
Monday, August 31, 2026
2027 Preliminary Budget and Tax Levy Review
Utilization of Prior Year Surplus for Tax Levy Mitigation
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Funding Strategy
MSA Professional Services Budgeting and Transparency
Votes (1)
2027 Preliminary Budget and Tax Levy Deliberation
Dissent: No notable dissent was recorded regarding the targeted 2.5% levy increase, though individual council members expressed desires for higher CIP contributions and a deeper focus on budget cuts.
Moved by No formal motion recorded as this was a work session. · Seconded by No formal second recorded as this was a work session.
The council reviewed proposed adjustments for the 2027 budget, including updates to health insurance, administrative reclassifications, and computer service costs. A key proposal from Mayor Rolf suggested leveraging a $356,448 surplus from the prior year to mitigate the tax levy increase, targeting a 2.5% increase. This involved allocating funds for a future comprehensive plan and retaining a remainder to soften subsequent budget impacts. Concerns were raised by Council member West regarding the adequacy of current Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funding for future large-scale purchases like fire trucks, advocating for increased annual contributions. Council member Mike emphasized using current surplus funds for current taxpayers and exploring potential budget cuts. General consensus leaned towards the Mayor's proposal to achieve a 2.5% levy increase using the surplus, with further discussion on CIP contributions and potential cuts before final adoption.
Notable Quotes (3)
I have a hard time looking at the residents and saying, 'Well, we have $350,000 here that I'm not really sure what we should do with, but we're going to increase your taxes anyways.'
If we only do 100,000 this year and we did two and a quarter for two years after that, 250 after that and 275 which is only looking out six years, we'll already be at a negative when we spend the 1.1 million on the next big fire truck if you're taking inflation into account.
I just think uh we should use up any money we have. Basically, the taxpayers that are paying now are the ones that put this money into the account. ... I think we need to start concentrating more on u cuts and stuff and looking at some of that stuff, too.
Ordinances & Resolutions (5)
Outlines the schedule for budget adoption.
The primary financial documents under review for the 2027 fiscal year.
A 2026 plan was budgeted for $50,000; a future 2060 plan is proposed to receive a dedicated funding allocation.
A multi-year plan totaling $2.2 million for capital projects, including a pumper truck and future fire apparatus.
Mentioned in the context of planning services provided by MSA.