City Council Meeting 11/9/2026

The City of Seward City Council meeting was held November 9, 2026. The council held the first of three public hearings on Resolution 2026-090, the proposed FY2027–28 operating budget and mill rate; no final budget vote was taken. The proposal includes a seasonal city sales tax beginning in FY2028 (0% in Q1 and Q4, 6% in Q2 and Q3), projected to generate $1.67 million more than FY2027. Planned uses include reducing the property tax mill rate from 3.64 to 2.64 and providing a proposed $75,000 homeowner exemption, $350,000 in annual hospital capital support, three additional staff positions, community-center operating costs, and a $200,000 annual pool contract. Capital allocations presented were $1.64 million for FY2027 and $472,000 for FY2028. Public comments raised concerns about the tax proposal and requests for funding, including $25,000 for a school-to-business partnership coordinator; council discussed these issues but made no budget amendments.

The council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-091, authorizing a contract with Sturgeon Electric Company for electric-line construction services not to exceed $270,000, with funds appropriated. The work will help address a peak workload that includes about 65 new services and other customer-driven projects; costs are expected to be recovered from customers. The city manager also reported that a purchase order for a community-center sauna had been approved, subject to building-code requirements, and that about $16,000 had been spent on transition and equipment work at the center. For the Forest Acres of Fognak subdivision, staff described an estimated $100,000 for remaining survey and plat work and anticipated later RFPs for waterline and road construction, subject to resolving a land swap and other approvals.