Gabe Stark
Reporter

The Trenton City Council approved a balanced 2026-27 city budget that holds the line on most taxes and fees while adding a 2% increase to water rates.

Water rate increase

Financial Director Harry Belvel said water was the city’s leanest utility and rates were being increased because the amount brought in has not covered the fees for the city. The city plans to raise the water rate slowly over a number of years to account for this and cause minimal impact to customers.

Belvel said $57,000 was the total paid for water by all city residents combined in the last fiscal year. With the rate increase, that amount will increase to around $58,500 for the entire city.

“It appeared to me to be the consensus of council to try to rebuild that slowly and incrementally so that there’s no sudden shock to ratepayers,” Interim City Administrator Scot Wrighton said.

Officials stressed during the meeting that the increase applies only to the water portion of a customer’s bill, not the total utility bill.

“This is not a 2% increase on your total bill,” Wrighton said. “It’s a 2% increase in your water only.”

Wrighton also said the increase will not change sewer rates because sewer billing is based on consumption, not the dollar value of the water bill.

The increase also applies to wholesale water customers, including the rural water district, because the agreement provides that regular customer rate increases are passed through at the same rate to wholesale customers.

The increase will take effect May 1.

Overall budget figures

The budget covers the fiscal year beginning May 1, and ending April 30, 2027. According to the city’s budget document, the plan anticipates about $25.3 million in new revenues and about $23.8 million in new expenditures across all city funds. The budget was described as “balanced” by leaders because unrestricted carryover funds from the previous fiscal year, combined with new revenue, exceed planned expenditures for the new fiscal year.

The council adopted the budget by ordinance after holding a public hearing. No public comments were made during the hearing. City officials noted that the preliminary copy of the proposed budget had been on file at the office of the city clerk after publication of the hearing notice.

Wrighton told council members the final version reflected changes requested during earlier budget work sessions, along with additional updates made as staff continued refining the document.

“In general, I’d like to say that this budget involves no new sales taxes, no increases in sales taxes or use tax,” Wrighton said. “No increase in property taxes, no increase in electric fees, no increase in sewer rates and no increase in any business license fees either.”

Wrighton said the only increase connected to the budget is the water rate adjustment, which was handled separately by motion.

“The only increase that has been proposed by council is the next item on the agenda, which is a fairly modest water hike below the rate of inflation,” Wrighton said. “So I think that, at the 10,000-foot altitude, this budget is conservative and has been restrained, and I think that reflects your views.”

The city’s budget document also states that no general government tax or fee rate increases were projected or requested for the new fiscal year. Council stated that Trenton is expected to meet the financial needs of its general government departments without increasing revenue rates by approaching planned spending conservatively.

Budget breakdown

The budget includes $4.87 million in general fund revenues and $4.53 million in general fund expenditures. The city, however, expects to spend down transportation sales tax funds connected to the 17th Street Bridge project. The budget document notes the city has carried those funds in reserves for several years in anticipation of a future payout related to the project.

One of the larger citywide changes in the budget is employee compensation and benefits. The budget includes an additional 1.2% salary increase after the council approved a 2.8% increase in December. The document also notes a 15% increase in group health insurance coverage and includes two new positions: an electric generation technician in the Electric Department and a part-time position in the Codes Department.

Public safety remains one of the city’s largest general fund expenses. The Police Department budget is proposed at about $1.82 million, up from about $1.67 million projected for the previous year. The department’s health and life insurance line increases from $203,580 budgeted in 2025-2026 to $256,080 in 2026-27. The police budget also includes increased software costs, Hyper-Reach emergency notification expenses and an in-car camera upgrade.

The Fire Department budget totals $751,450. The department noted that an increased number of part-time firefighters has helped reduce overtime costs, with overtime projected at $45,000 for the new fiscal year, compared to actual overtime costs of $62,822 in fiscal year 2024-2025. The fire budget also includes firefighter cancer-related coverage through the Missouri Firefighters Critical Illness Pool and Life Scan Wellness screening.

Street work is also a major part of the budget. The city plans street overlays on Lake Trenton Drive near Lower Lake, Lakeside Terrace, portions of Fifth Street, 13th Court, Princeton Road, First Street, Ridgeway, Eighth Street, Washington Street, Tindall, 13th Street and 12th Street. Chip-and-seal work is planned for portions of Baltimore, Seventh Street, Chicago, Summit, 13th Street, Sixth Street, Hall Street, Fourth Street, Harris Avenue, Merrill and Wiggins.

The Street Department also plans to begin replacing street sign blades over a five-year period. The budget also moves the city’s asphalt plant into an enterprise fund beginning May 1, meaning its revenues and expenditures, including personnel costs, will be recorded separately from the General Fund.

At the airport, the budget notes that construction of the new six-bay T-hangar, which began with dirt pad and taxi lane work, was completed in early spring 2026. The city’s next major airport project is runway reconstruction, which is expected to span multiple years and begin with design, environmental studies and engineering. The airport budget also includes a new mower, fuel tank repainting, concrete replacement at the north end of the large hangar and an in-house runway maintenance program until reconstruction can occur.