The Carroll City Council will sketch out its schedule for the next few months at Monday’s meeting as they consider Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget preparation work. The council convenes at 5:15 p.m. at Carroll City Hall, with its first task being a discussion of the budget timetable. By law, Iowa cities must host at least two public hearings with sufficient time between them to allow the public to raise any questions or concerns about proposed levies, expenditures, etc. According to City Manager Aaron Kooiker, those time limitations can make meeting the April 30 budget submission deadline challenging if they encounter more than one or two delays. After setting the budget schedule, Kooiker says the council will turn its attention to a resolution that’s necessary for the city to reimburse itself for portions of the $5.55 million Northwest Water Pressure Zone improvement. Part of that million project will be funded through a multi-purpose bond issuance, scheduled for FY27 but in the 2026 calendar year.
Kooiker adds that the city’s historical target for its Debt Service Levy, $1.40, won’t be affected by this bond issuance. Other projects that will be funded in part by the debt include the U.S. Highway 30 traffic signal plan, the 12th Street reconstruction project, and sewer plant improvements. While a bid has not been selected yet for the 12th Street project, Kooiker says city officials are already looking ahead and planning for the Clark Street reconstruction in several years.
He adds the city’s major thoroughfares are approaching the end of their usable lives, so projects like the Adams, Clark, and 12th Street reconstruction will be a regular occurrence for years to come. Near the end of the meeting, the council will review the results of their 2025 planning session, which identified the continuation of the downtown façade grant and infill housing incentive programs, construction of a four-season shelter house in Northwest Park, a citizen survey, and the development of a sidewalk improvement plan. Making the list of key priorities for FY27 is assisting the airport commission in building a new hangar at the Arthur N. Neu Municipal Airport.
Rough estimates for that hangar are around $1.5 million, with about half of that expected to come from federal FAA support for rural regional airports. The Monday, Jan. 12 meeting is open to the public and will be live-streamed via the city’s YouTube channel.
