Lincoln City Approves Next Year's Budget

Lincoln City’s City Council approved a $101.7 million budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 at the June 9 City Council meeting. The budget covers the 12 months from July 1, 2025 to June 30 of next year, and represents a 4.7 percent increase over last year’s budget total of nearly $97 million. Planned investments for the upcoming fiscal year include $39.1 million for personnel and operating costs, $30 million for capital equipment and infrastructure, and $19.2 million in capital reserves and operational contingencies.

Expenditures in the General Fund, which includes key City services like police, library, economic development, planning, and building inspection, are projected at $18.3 million for FY 2025-26, a decrease from the current year budget of about $2.4 million. The General Fund is expected to end the FY2025-26 fiscal year with $8.9 million in reserves, a slight decrease from estimated FY 2024-25 but still well within best-practice guidelines.

This budget focuses on maintaining fiscal responsibility while bridging priority project funding gaps and continuing key long-range planning efforts. It also reflects the City’s commitment to increasing the resiliency of our services to our community, by continuing to invest strongly in capital and infrastructure.

The adopted FY 2025-26 Budget includes the following:

• $2.7 million to construct a water booster pump station for the Spring Lake area. This

funding will allow for the residential development of the Spring Lake area, where it is

currently not feasible due to a lack of water availability.

• $2.6 million to complete the Nelscott Pressure-Gravity Sewer Main Replacement

Project. This funds construction of a new pressure/gravity line to replace the undersized

existing sewer line.

• $8.3 million (funded via grants, donations, general fund transfers, system development

charges, and debt) to complete the Schooner Creek Discovery Park. The final phase will

To ensure equal access to City services, Lincoln City will reasonably modify procedures for person with disabilities. To also include a covered multi-sports court, permanent pickleball courts, turfed multi-sports field, and walking paths.

• $5.1 million (funded via TRT and State Lottery Bond) to design and construct the Lincoln

City Welcome Center at the D River State Recreation Site.

To see the full adopted budget, please visit the Lincoln City Budget Page.