Three Rivers Commission approves $10.3M budget for 2025–26 fiscal year

The Three Rivers City Commission unanimously approved a $10.3 million general fund budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year Tuesday night, finalizing spending priorities that city leaders described as cautious but necessary amid rising operational costs.

The budget, which takes effect July 1, maintains existing service levels without increasing taxes. Mayor Tom Lowry said the city’s financial outlook remains stable but constrained.

“This is a very status quo budget,” Lowry said. “We didn’t make any dramatic changes from what was presented at the budget workshop, aside from minor updates like the state revenue estimates for the major street fund.”

City Manager Joe Bippus emphasized the challenge of stretching limited dollars across departments.

“Everything’s more expensive — labor, equipment, supplies,” Bippus said. “We’ve been conservative, but we’ve kept our focus on delivering core services.”

The general fund budget includes:

• $3.1 million for public safety, which encompasses police, fire, and emergency medical services.
  
• $1.4 million for public works, including road maintenance, fleet services, and cemetery operations.
  
• $980,000 for general government, which funds administration, the city clerk, and elections.
  
• $720,000 for parks and recreation, supporting maintenance and programming across the city’s parks.
  
• $180,000 in capital investments, including vehicle replacements and upgrades to city facilities.
  

The city will collect approximately $4.6 million in property taxes, while the remainder of general fund revenue will come from state-shared revenue, service fees, and grants.

The commission also adopted the city’s tax levy, which keeps the millage rate flat at 13.4768 mills for operations and 1.85 mills for debt service.

In other business, commissioners approved a proposal from Fishbeck Engineering to administer a brownfield grant for Clark Logic’s redevelopment of 111 Day Drive. The grant, which will not exceed $30,000, covers reporting and administrative costs.

A $200,000 change order for engineering work on the city’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) project was also approved, funded through $85,000 in loan contingency and $115,000 from the sewer fund.

The commission additionally approved a land price increase and 7.35-acre property sale in the Airport Industrial Park, new fire and ambulance reporting software, and the assignment of a contract and purchase order to Reliant Fire Apparatus.

Editor’s note: The story has been updated to correct information about the new business items discussed in the city commission meeting.

Najifa Farhat is a staff reporter with Watershed Voice.