(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic City Council has a lot to discuss during their regular meeting Wednesday evening, much of which has to do with the FY27 Budget, including proposed property tax levies, the Parks and Recreation Department Budget, and the possibility of establishing a Parks Director Position. In his meeting agenda prepared for the Council and media, City Administrator John Lund said with regard to the FY2027 Budget, property tax levies need to be “Nailed-down.” The meeting at City Hall, begins at 5:30-p.m.

Lund says “The Council will need to adopt a resolution setting the date of public hearing for our maximum property tax dollars for the required public hearing that will occur on April 1st and those specific levies will need to be determined for entry into the Iowa Department of Management’s digital portal so the Cass County Auditor can send out the wildly inaccurate notices on property taxes.

Shown above are the maximum property tax rates for both last year and this year. Lund says this year, a $0.60 increase is scheduled across three levies, totaling an increase of 5.80% in property tax collections. John Lund said also, with regard to the Parks and Recreation Department priorities and staffing,  “The Mayor, Council, and public have made it clear they want a Parks Director. The issue why this has not occurred is due to General Fund resource allocation. The Parks Director was eliminated in the late summer of 2023 to expand labor resources, elsewhere. It was considered a “deal.”  Lund says “Atlantic can see progress in the areas it wants, those General Fund resources are now available. The City can afford to pay for a Park’s Director at the market rate ($74,700) for a community of our size. I ran numbers on the costs and found this is a sustainable expenditure, assuming the 2% cap on new property tax dollars is implemented, taxable value is not gutted by tax credits and exemptions, and that all future wage growth is tied to this 2% amount or a new revenue source is identified.

“No cost allocation relating to this new position is necessary. This will be paid for by released property tax resources, so this is a simple calculus on if restoring this position to the City labor portfolio is something the Council wants to see.” On that note, the Atlantic City Council will discuss and possibly act on an Order regarding a Parks Director. If they determine it’s time to move forward with re-establishing the position, they will have to approve a motion to direct Lund to post the position.

Other action items on the agenda include:

• FY 2027 Budget – Compensation Adjustments.
• Resolution #11-26 “Approving the Proposed Maximum Property Tax Levy for FY 2027.”
• Resolution #12-26 “Setting a Public Hearing for the Proposed Maximum Property Tax Levy for Fiscal Year 2027 to be Held on April 1, 2026, at 5:00 P.M.”
• Resolution #13-26 “Approving Sunnyside Swimming Pool Fees and Applicability Provisions.”
• Resolution #14-26 “Amending the City of Atlantic Personnel Policy Handbook, Series 400, Code 401 to Provide a Health Insurance Waiver Incentive though a 401(a) Plan for Eligible Employees.”
• First Reading of Ordinance No. 1064 “An Ordinance Allowing Non-Iowa Residents to Be Hired and Employed as Part-Time and Reserve Officers for the City of Atlantic, Iowa.”
• Motion to Waive the Statutory Rule Requiring Separate Readings and Approve the Second and Third Readings of Ordinance No. 1064
• Second Reading of Ordinance No. 1064 “An Ordinance Allowing Non-Iowa Residents to Be Hired and Employed as Part-Time and Reserve Officers for the City of Atlantic, Iowa.”
• Third Reading and Final Adoption of Ordinance No. 1064 “An Ordinance Allowing Non-Iowa Residents to Be Hired and Employed as Part-Time and Reserve Officers for the City of Atlantic, Iowa.”