2027 City Budget Update
Summary
The council approved a 2027 contract with police union LELS 363, 7-2. Dissenting councilors argued a 5% raise for higher-paid officers is hard to justify while the city faces multi-million dollar budget shortfalls and underfunded parks, libraries, and road repairs.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 26, 2026.
Impact analysis
A 5% salary increase for LELS 363 members, already allocated within the 2027 budget.
Police officers and lieutenants in LELS 363, and a community that benefits from a fully staffed department.
Critics say other underfunded city services — parks, libraries, roads, housing inspection — bear the opportunity cost.
Mentions & discussions (3)
City Council — October 26, 2026
Budget manager Missy Harold reported health insurance costs rose 9 percent instead of the budgeted 7.5 percent, adding about $198,000 in expenses, partially offset by new Minnesota Power franchise fee revenue of $196,700. Key budget votes come December 14.
City Council — October 13, 2026
The council approved a 2027 contract with police union LELS 363, 7-2. Dissenting councilors argued a 5% raise for higher-paid officers is hard to justify while the city faces multi-million dollar budget shortfalls and underfunded parks, libraries, and road repairs.
City Council — April 27, 2026
In a finance committee session before the council meeting, staff walked through a projected $5.5 million general fund deficit for 2027 and launched a series of monthly budget workshops, flagging that property taxes are the only major revenue the city controls.
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