Hastings City Council passes budget

Members of the Hastings City Council passed the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget during a special
meeting on Monday, Sept. 15 with $408,000 in cuts. The only items on the meeting agenda were amended Ordinance 4809, adopting the annual appropriation bill; and a resolution adopting the annual fee resolution, which was postponed from the Sept. 8 council meeting.

Approval of ordinance 4809 completes the budget process and allows for appropriations during
the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Council members voted 7-1 to amend Ordinance 4809 to remove $375,000 out of a $750,000 line item for a proposed jet hangar, leaving $375,000 for the project. The amendment spreads the cost for the hangar project equally across the 25-26 and 26-27 fiscal years. Councilman Marc Rowan dissented.

The Council then voted 7-1 to approve Ordinance 4809 and then voted 7-1 to suspend the rule
and take second and final readings. Recruiting a jet would give the Hastings airport “regional” status and create opportunities for more federal funding.

Council members also voted 6-2 on an amendment that would place the costs of credit card
fees on the person using the credit card at Development Services, Aquacourt, Parks &
Recreation, Library, Museum and Police departments. Council members Maggie Esch and Matt
Fong dissented. Credit cards are the only payment method with a fee.

This amendment would not affect credit card fees for transactions with the Utility and Landfill
departments because those departments are not included in the general fund. The City of
Hastings will still cover those fees. Elimination of the city covering credit card fees will begin Jan. 1, 2026. The action is anticipated to save $18,000. Council members also voted 5-3 to reduce professional services for the administration department by $10,000, from $15,000 to $5,000 and reduce the training and conferences line item by $5,000, from $10,000 to $5,000. Council members Esch, Fong and Hoffman dissented.

The total cuts made Monday night equaled $408,000. Monday’s action comes one week after council members voted 6-2 during their regular meeting to decrease tax asking by $360,521 from the planned $9,055,597 to $8,695,076, which lowered the levy to .379091 per $100 valuation from the planned rate of .394809, which is also the city’s current rate. Council members Esch and Hoffman dissented. Monday’s action did not include an additional reduction to the tax asking, which remains
$8,695,075 and the levy is still .379091. A .379091 levy on a $200,000 house would be $758.20 in annual property taxes to the City of Hastings.

Council members also unanimously approved an amendment to not increase the dividend fee.
The dividend, which replaces the former payment in lieu of taxes, is estimated to collect
approximately $3.8 million. Council then unanimously approved the fee schedule.