City Council Work Session 10/26/2026

The City of Seward City Council held a FY 2027–28 budget work session on October 26, 2026; no votes were taken. The city manager presented a proposed seasonal sales tax for FY 2028 (0% in Q1 and Q4, 6% in Q2 and Q3) paired with a one-mill property-tax reduction, while keeping the 4% city sales tax in place for FY 2027. The proposal also shifts campgrounds into the parking enterprise fund, with a larger transfer to the General Fund in FY 2027 as a bridge and lower transfers afterward. The administration proposed transfers of about $900,000 in FY 2027 and $472,000 in FY 2028 to capital acquisition funds for streets, sidewalks, and other needs, and budgeted for 105 full-time positions plus two new positions. A roughly $30,000 part-time custodial position for the community center was also included. These remain budget proposals for later consideration, not approved spending decisions.

Department discussions included IT capital needs: website updates for ADA compliance by April 2028, a phone-system upgrade using the current vendor, and replacement of end-of-life city data-center servers. The city also discussed contracted GIS support through 2028, design work for the comprehensive plan and wayfinding project, and possible future procurement of support to modernize city code; no code-enforcement officer was included in the proposed budget. Council members raised questions about campground-fund transfers, enterprise-fund oversight, and department budget accountability. No contract awards, bids, or vendor selections were approved at the session.