Tax rate down, no utility rate increases in Beatrice City Budget for 2025

BEATRICE – Heading into the second year of the current two-year-budget, the City of Beatrice tax rate is going down, for the fifth straight year. No utility rate increases are planned in 2025.

That was part of the information from a public hearing midway through the city’s current budget, Tuesday night. Mayor Bob Morgan says city staff is doing a good job of planning well into the future.  "We've got a lot of people who are trying to make sure that we can reach our goal, without over-taxing...through planning. And, I think they've done a real good job. I certainly appreciate that."

A long list of capital improvements has been underway in the city with others planned in the coming years. City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer says a significant amount of the work is being completed through the help of grants and issuing bonds.  The city is currently paying off a bond issue for the new fire station, with about $5.4 million remaining through 2029. A sanitation bond is being paid off through 2031…totaling about $1.9 million.

"We are looking at several bond issuances, in F-Y 25. BASWA is probably going to issue about six million dollars in bonds in the winter of '24, for the construction of the new landfill. The airport is looking at $600,000 in the spring of 2025 for the taxiway project. Public safety debt for about $950,000. Largely, that's for a new fire truck that is currently on order, and showing up sometime, we think, in about a year from now, in October of 2025." There are also bond issues planned for utility and street projects.

The only bond issue mentioned Tuesday night that would require a public vote is the potential for a water park upgrade in the future, once the fire station bond is paid off. The majority of the bond issues are backed by utility revenue or fees.

The city of Beatrice tax rate for the coming year is 34.7 cents per hundred dollars valuation…down from the 39.6 cents back in 2020.