The preliminary City budget of 2025 was approved this week by the City Council, but the budget is a long way from being final.

City Council members held a special meeting on July 30 to question City department heads and others, including City Manager Harold Stewart, about aspects of the proposed budget. The meeting generated a lot of good back-and-forth discussion. Ultimately, the Council approved the preliminary budget, but there will almost surely be changes before the document is finalized.

And that’s a good thing. The budget process is a long one, but it’s open and transparent by law and by necessity. These discussions are held during public meetings, and Council members took part in several budget tours that included trips to various City departments and meetings with City officials, department heads, and employees.

By law, the total budget cannot go higher than the preliminary figures we just approved; the budget can be reduced, but it cannot exceed the approved total.

What are the next official steps in the process?

Aug. 19: Council President Mark Jantzer delivers his budget message
Sept. 16: First reading and public hearing on 2025 budget
Oct. 7: Final adoption of 2025 budget
But there are plenty of opportunities for members of the public to be involved in the process. The City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 includes a public hearing, where residents can share their thoughts and opinions on the budget with me, Council members, and City leaders and department heads. I know not everyone is comfortable getting up at a City Council meeting, so you can always contact us in a variety of other ways.
Our contact information is available on the City of Minot website at https://www.minotnd.gov/252/City-Council
You can submit questions to the Council through the City’s public portal here: https://www.minotnd.gov/FormCenter/City-Council-Meeting-Feedback-Form-16/Council-Feedback-Form-74
We’ve also planned several virtual budget discussions where the public can submit questions to a variety of City departments. These sessions will be held in Council Chamber at City Hall, but will also be broadcast on the City’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and on local cable channel 19.
Aug. 14 at noon: Public works utilities, operations, and engineering
Aug. 15 at noon: Police and fire departments
Aug. 16 at noon: City manager, finance department, and grants

I’d encourage residents who have questions for Council members or department heads to let us know their opinion. Creating and adopting a City budget is a long, complicated, and arduous process. There will be disagreements among Council members, and among City staff and leaders. There will be disagreements among Council members and members of the public. There’s no way around that fact.

I guarantee you not everyone will agree with the final budget, and that’s okay. In any municipal budget, there will be give-and-take among departments, and disagreement among Council members. That’s all good. That’s how the process should work. In the end, we’ll pass a budget that will in all likelihood not be perfect, but will represent the best document we can create to balance the needs of the community with the realities of the funds that are available.

You can find more about what’s happening at the City of Minot at minotnd.org, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d also encourage you to sign up for our monthly electronic newsletter on our website.

Some of the details of the proposed 2025 budget:

• $227.7 million budget, up from $199.29 million in 2024
• Estimated 115.07 mill levy for property taxes for $28.52 million; 2024 budget included a 119.93 mill levy for $28.7 million
• Estimated property tax per $100,000 of home value is $517.82, down $21.87 from 2024 budget
• Roughly 71 percent of property taxes goes towards police, fire, traffic, and streets