City Council OKs $161M operating budget; semi-annual tax bills go out June 17

ROCHESTER - The Rochester City Council on Tuesday adopted the FY25 City, County, School District, Enterprise, and Special Revenue Funds operating budgets totaling $161,281,915. The City, County, and School operating budgets are subject to annual tax cap allowance.

The City Manager's original proposed operating budgets for City, County, and School District, was $149,852 below the tax cap allowance. The City Council made additional reductions, and the adopted FY25 City, County, and School District budgets are $1,065,728 below the tax cap allowance.

Inclusive in the FY25 City adopted operating budget is the utilization of $7,956,000 in General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance. City Council approved this level of Unassigned Fund balance, which is higher than in prior years, in order to assure stabilization in the amount to be raised by taxes. This will also assist in stabilizing impacts related to the city-wide revaluation process. The Council also approved utilization of $2,022,500 in Capital Reserve Funds, which further stabilizes the amount to be raised by property taxes.

The City Council also adopted the FY25 Capital Improvements Plan of $53,090,054. The Capital Improvements Plan encompasses a variety of City, School District, Water Fund, Sewer Fund, and Tax Incremental Financing District capital improvement projects.

First issue property tax bills are scheduled to be mailed on June 17 with a due date of July 17.