Salina local news summary

City Commission Approves 2026 Budget, Reduces Mill Levy

Salina Residents to See Higher Utility and Sanitation Fees in 2026

Commission Greenlights $452,000 Initial Contract for River Log Jam Removal

Commission Backs Continued Funding for Salina Grace Homeless Services

Saline County Adopts $73.5 Million Budget, Approves Mill Levy Increase

County and City of Salina to Combine Opioid Settlement Funds in New Partnership

City Commission Approves 2026 Budget, Reduces Mill Levy

SALINA - The Salina City Commission unanimously approved the city's 2026 annual budget of approximately $156 million following a public hearing. The budget establishes a new mill levy of 28.568 mills, a reduction of 0.849 mills from the current rate. Finance Director Debbie Pack noted the overall budget represents a 2.7% increase in expenditures over 2025, primarily to cover employee pay increases. During the hearing, some residents questioned the city’s large general fund reserve balance, while commissioners defended the city's strong financial position, stating the reserves allow Salina to handle unexpected events, like the recent river flooding, without raising property taxes. The budget ordinance passed on a 5-0 vote.

Salina Residents to See Higher Utility and Sanitation Fees in 2026

SALINA - As part of its 2026 budget approval, the City Commission passed a new comprehensive fee schedule that will increase costs for several city services. Residents will see a 7.6% increase in monthly sanitation service fees, rising to $21.25 per month, while cart fees will increase by $1 per month. Additionally, both water and wastewater consumption rates are set to increase by 5%. The fee adjustments are intended to cover rising operational costs within those specific departments. The resolution adopting the new fee schedule was approved unanimously.

Commission Greenlights $452,000 Initial Contract for River Log Jam Removal

SALINA - The City Commission unanimously approved an agreement with Deal Enterprises, Inc. for the initial phase of debris removal from the Smoky Hill River in Bill Burke Park, authorizing a contract not to exceed $452,351. Utilities Director Martha Tasker clarified that the contract is for a four-week period and is structured to address the original log jam caused by a storm in June, not the additional debris from two subsequent July storms. City staff will monitor the progress daily, and any work beyond the initial scope will require a new change order and further commission approval. The project is expected to begin in September and be completed by early October.

Commission Backs Continued Funding for Salina Grace Homeless Services

SALINA - The City Commission received public praise from local service organizations for its continued financial support of Salina Grace and the Salina Rescue Mission in the 2026 budget. Chad Young, executive director of both organizations, thanked the commission, stating that city funding has been critical in providing shelter and services to those experiencing homelessness. He noted that in the past year, partnerships helped 130 people get off the streets during the winter and 50 people into housing or other programs. The support reflects the commission's ongoing commitment to addressing homelessness as a community-wide issue.

Saline County Adopts $73.5 Million Budget, Approves Mill Levy Increase

SALINE COUNTY - The Saline County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously adopted a $73.5 million budget for fiscal year 2026. The final approval followed a public hearing and a roll-call vote to exceed the state’s revenue-neutral rate, raising the county's proposed mill levy to 40.167 mills from the calculated neutral rate of 39.023 mills. County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes identified employee raises as a significant cost driver for the increase needed to maintain county services and retain staff.

County and City of Salina to Combine Opioid Settlement Funds in New Partnership

SALINE COUNTY - In a intergovernmental collaboration, Saline County has approved a joint agreement with the City of Salina to manage and distribute funds received from national opioid lawsuit settlements. The partnership will pool resources, estimated to exceed $1 million through 2038, to combat drug addiction locally. The county will administer the program, which aims to fund prevention, education, and treatment efforts across the community. The Salina City Commission approved the agreement the previous evening.

Sponsors (click me!)

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 12 cities across Kansas. Each issue contains 5 paragraph-length stories that are made to be read in 5 minutes. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!