Burlington Council Weighs Tax and Fee Hikes - City Council Work Session - May 5, 2026

The Burlington City Council reviewed a proposed 7-cent property tax increase, a new stormwater fee structure, emergency preparedness kits for residents, and zoning requests including a recycling center near homes. Staff said 4 cents of the proposed tax increase would go to debt service and 3 cents to operations. Council also agreed to move forward with public hearings on the budget, stormwater fees, and several land-use items.

Topics Discussed

BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAXES: Staff presented a proposed 7-cent property tax increase and said “one cent for one penny is worth generates about $917,000 in revenue.” Of the 7 cents, staff said “4 cents goes directly for that debt service and 3 cents pays for operations.” Using a $250,000 home as an example, staff said the increase would add about $175 annually. One council member said that “while 7 cents sounds like a lot,” spread over a year “for any one homeowner, it generally would not be a huge burden.” Staff also said the budget theme this year is “covering the bond debt service and inflationary increases primarily.”

STORMWATER FEE RESTRUCTURING: Council discussed a new stormwater fee model and whether to adopt a flat base rate or a stair-step approach over five years. Staff said council needed to decide “if we do want a cap or no cap,” set a base rate, and determine “do we want to have a solid base rate for all five years” or “a stairstep approach.” Staff said a phased approach could reduce “initial sticker shock” but warned that “year five would hit hard.” A council member said she was leaning toward a $6 starting rate because “you want to know what your monthly bills are going to be” and the $6 option “brings in the revenue to get the work done in the city” while also being “transparent to our residents.” Council approved a $6 stormwater fee structure with a five-year phase-in and set a public hearing for June 16.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS KITS: Council heard details of a program to distribute emergency kits to residents. Staff said the kits include “a solar powered weather radio, an emergency blanket, a can opener and a flashlight,” along with informational flyers, “and that’s all in a tote bag.” The program is funded through a grant and is aimed at helping residents prepare for the first days after an emergency.

RECYCLING CENTER ZONING: Council scheduled a public hearing on a rezoning request from Topia Real Estate LLC for a recycling center on property near residential streets. Discussion focused on the site’s location and possible effects on nearby residents. One council member asked about concerns from people living around the property, describing it as being “in the middle of a residential area” with neighborhoods “on all sides except for itself.” The article record provided does not identify a final vote on the rezoning itself, only that a public hearing was scheduled.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND COORDINATION: Council also discussed coordinating street resurfacing with other city work. One council member said the city should use resurfacing projects to ask “what else needs to happen when we get the resurfacing because that’s the best time to make that investment.” The goal, the member said, is to deliver “more value efficiently with taxpayers” and avoid repeating work soon after roads are repaved.

Motions

Approved: - Implementation of a $6 stormwater fee structure with a five-year phase-in beginning Jan. 1, 2027 - Creation of an incentive-based rebate program for stormwater management - Public hearing for the stormwater fee structure on June 16 - Public hearing for the fiscal budget on June 6 - Public hearings for the Topia Real Estate LLC rezoning and Lowe Funeral Home expansion on May 19 - Moving the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to the May 19 agenda for a public hearing - Relinquishing city air rights for the Grand Hotel Road affordable housing development

Attendees

• Council Member Bob
• Additional council members were present, but their names were not identified in the record provided