Town Hall Budget Meeting | November 5, 2026

Ames’ annual town hall budget meeting on November 5, 2026, opened public input for preparation of the fiscal year 2027–28 budget. Staff outlined the budget calendar, current city finances, and state legislative changes that constrain next year’s general levy to 2% growth plus new growth. They said the city also expects to lose about $400,000 in state replacement funds and estimates property-tax exemptions will reduce taxable valuation by roughly $141 million, adding pressure to maintain current service levels. The current city budget is just over $333 million, including about $110 million for capital improvements; examples discussed included water-pollution-control and electric-generation upgrades, the solid-waste transfer station, streets, and water-main replacements. No contract awards, vendor selections, procurement approvals, or spending motions were made.

Public comments addressed quality-of-life programs, arts and human services, transit, affordable housing, parks and dog parks, recreation, recycling, and a possible study of North Duff Avenue bike-lane use. Staff described a continuing program to replace undersized water mains and lead service lines, including use of some CDBG funds in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Officials explained that local-option sales-tax proceeds have designated uses, including property-tax relief and community betterment, and that enterprise-fund fees are generally kept tied to the services that generate them. The city invited further public input ahead of capital-improvement and operating-budget workshops and council decisions scheduled for January and February; these were planning discussions, not procurement actions.