As the deadline to set the 2025 city budget creeps up, Topeka officials continue to hash out concerns and opinions about how to best set the budget.
The Topeka City Council had its final budget discussion before the property tax rate public hearing and budget public hearing are held Sept. 10.
The council didn't give any indication of what tax rate they would vote on at the next meeting.
However after the budget public hearing, the council won't approve a final draft of the 2025 budget but will wait until for Sept. 17 meeting.
Councilman Spencer Duncan said he would prefer to wait to so the council has time to consider options and comment from the public.
The council will still vote to exceed the natural tax rate during the Sept. 10 meeting after the tax rate public hearing, as is required by state law.
Where does the city property tax rate stand now?
In a previous meeting , the council set the maximum tax rate. Under this tax rate, the taxes for the average property owner would go up 16.28%.
The council is required by state law to schedule a public hearing to discuss the rate and then immediately after vote on what the final rate will be.
The city has scheduled its tax rate public hearing for the Sept. 10 meeting.
Concerns over the multimillion dollar deficit Topeka is in
Councilwoman Karen Hiller said one of her largest concerns is over the multi-million dollar deficit.
In a previous meeting , city manager Robert Perez said the city will be in a $15 million deficit entering 2025.
Perez said the city would address the deficit over several years by finding ways to cut back on personnel and other costs.
Conflicts arise during Topeka property tax conversations
Councilman Brent Kell said he hears a lot of complaints and requests about keeping taxes low, but the city also needs to remain competitive and functional.
"We can't do major cuts to anything or else we are going to start taking steps backwards throughout the city in all our projects we have going on," Kell said.
Councilman Marcus Miller asked if it was possible to have a joint meeting between the city and county to discuss the tax season.
"I feel like we keep talking about county and their help, but of all the meetings I have on my calendar, the only one I've ever seen was the unhomed initiative back in early first quarter," Miller said. "I don't ever see we're having communications publicly so the citizens can see us working together. "I think that would probably be a little more beneficial than what we do currently.
"I'm not involved enough to watch every single one of their meetings but I would definitely want them to send a note or something if they have something to say and let us know when they want our attention. I think a straight-up conversation is certainly better than many jabs every other government meeting."
Mayor Michael Padilla said the council takes these discussions and decisions seriously.
"There's every effort to listen to the public, to understand we have limited resources and those limited resources have to be used in the most efficient way possible for our constituents," Padilla said.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Confronted by $15M deficit, Topeka City Council delays budget vote until Sept. 17
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