City Council Meeting Date: August 18, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Administrator, Ben Martig
Finance Director, Brenda Angelstad
Title
City Council 2027 Budget Public Listening Session (public highly encouraged to attend and provide feedback).
Body
Action Requested:
Discussion Only.
Summary Report:
Community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about Northfield's proposed 2027 budget and property tax levy and provide questions and provide meaningful input before the City Council makes key decisions affecting property taxes and utility rates.
The Budget Listening Session on August 18 will start at 6 p.m. and be held in the City Council Chambers at City Hall. Community members will have the opportunity to engage with Council members and provide feedback on the proposed budget.
This meeting is structured as a City Council-hosted public listening session focused on the proposed 2027 budget and property tax levy. Unlike the earlier informational budget presentations, the primary purpose of this meeting is to provide residents an opportunity to share their perspectives directly with the City Council before Council begins making preliminary budget and levy decisions in September.
The meeting is anticipated to follow the general process below:
I. Welcome and Meeting Framing (estimated 5 minutes)
The Mayor will open the meeting, explain the purpose and format of the listening session, and emphasize that the primary focus of the evening is hearing from the community.
II. Summary of Public Input (estimated 5-10 minutes)
Staff will provide a concise summary of feedback received through the July Budget Town Hall and the public survey conducted in advance of the August 18 meeting. The intent is to identify major themes, areas of agreement or differing perspectives, and questions that may help frame the evening's discussion.
III. Budget and Levy Overview (estimated 15 minutes)
Staff will provide a brief, high-level review of the proposed 2027 budget and property tax levy. This will be a shortened and modified version of the presentation provided at the July 29th 2027 Budget & Capital Improvement Plan Town Hall Meeting. Because more detailed budget presentations have already occurred, this portion is intended to provide sufficient context for the discussion rather than repeat previous presentations.
IV. Public Comment and Council Listening Period (estimated 45 minutes dependent on public attendance)
The majority of the formal meeting will be dedicated to hearing directly from residents. Community members may comment on any aspect of the proposed budget and levy and are encouraged to use the survey questions and identified budget tradeoffs to help provide specific, meaningful feedback. Depending on attendance, the Mayor may adjust the amount of time available to individual speakers to provide everyone an opportunity to participate. See the “Survey Questionnaire” reference later in this memo for suggestions on appropriate questions that may be helpful in meaningful feedback to the City Council on the 2027 budget.
V. Council Reflection (estimated 15-20 minutes)
Following public comments, Council members will have an opportunity to individually provide any reflection of what they heard during the discussion, and offer initial reflections. This is not intended to be a final budget decision-making session; rather, it provides Council an opportunity to better understand and reflect on the input received before upcoming budget deliberations.
VI. Informal Council/Community Conversation (estimated 30 minutes dependent on public attendance)
Following the formal portion of the meeting, Council members will individually be available away from the dais for additional conversation with community members. This provides an opportunity for residents to ask follow-up questions, expand on comments, or discuss issues in a less formal setting.
Post Meeting - Council Use of Feedback & Deliberation on 2027 Budget
Feedback from the survey and listening session will be documented and carried forward into Council's upcoming budget deliberations, including the September 8 budget review, September 15 budget and levy worksession, and September 22 consideration of the preliminary property tax levy. This approach is intended to create a clear connection between the community input received and the choices subsequently considered by the City Council.
Community members can also provide feedback by completing an online survey about budget options the City Council is deliberating. See additional information in this memo titled “Submit Questions on the 2027 Budget” and “Survey Questionnaire” for additional detail. There are also attachments included with weblinks to complete these surveys.
These meetings build on the City's ongoing efforts to increase public engagement and transparency throughout the budget process. Following the July budget town hall, the City is continuing the conversation by providing additional opportunities for community members to learn about the proposed 2027 budget and share feedback before key decisions are made.
The City Council will continue discussing the proposed budget throughout the fall. In September, the Council is expected to adopt the preliminary budget, the maximum property tax levy, and 2027 utility rates. The final budget and property tax levy will be considered for adoption in December.
More information about the budget process, upcoming meetings, ways to provide feedback, and budget resources is available at northfieldmn.gov/Budget <https://www.northfieldmn.gov/193/Budget>.
The following attachments are also provided as preparation and feedback opportunities related to this public listening session:
July 29, 2026 Budget & Capital Improvement Plan Town Hall Meeting
The City hosted this other town hall meeting for the public to provide information and offer input from various staff. Attached is the full presentation from that event. This will be helpful information to reference in preparation of this upcoming Council 2027 Budget Public Listening Session. Additionally, the video of the verbal presentation is attached for viewing in advance.
Staff will integrate feedback from the July 29 post-meeting attendee survey results at the meeting along with responses of questions from the survey that is being submitted for this upcoming meeting.
Submit Questions on the 2027 Budget
The link below directs the public to the City’s website, where questions can be submitted in advance of the meeting. Staff will share submitted questions with the Council and work to address any clarifying questions we receive.
Submit questions:www.northfieldmn.gov/BudgetQuestion <http://www.northfieldmn.gov/BudgetQuestion>
Survey Questionnaire
Staff strongly encourages community members to complete the short 2027 Budget Survey in advance of the listening session. The survey is designed to move beyond general reactions to property taxes and provide Council with meaningful feedback about residents’ priorities, preferred tradeoffs, and the relationship between taxes and City services. Results will be summarized at the August 18 listening session, used to help focus the public discussion, and carried forward as an important source of community input during Council’s September budget and property tax levy deliberations.
Complete the 2027 Budget Survey: <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KY3W2FC>
Staff also will distribute the survey through other media communications and on the City’s budget webpage.
During the public comment portion of the listening session, community members are also encouraged to use the survey questions and budget tradeoffs as a framework for their comments, including highlighting issues or priorities they feel most strongly about. This provides an opportunity to expand on survey responses and have individual comments shared directly with the City Council as part of the public meeting record.
Following the formal listening session at this meeting, Council members will also be available for additional conversation with attendees to hear further thoughts, respond to questions, and better understand the perspectives shared during the meeting.
Alternative Options:
Not applicable.
Financial Impacts:
See attached presentation materials.
Tentative Timelines:
See attached timelines in the attached presentation.