Passage of the 2026 Stanley city budget will be here before New Year’s, with a draft preview of the general fund budget given in the Personnel and Finance Committee packet for Monday, Oct. 6.
With some fine tuning still called for, current budget figures for the general fund show $2,678,825 in revenue balanced with $2,771,539.60 in expenses, for a current deficit of $92,714, pending revision.
The water utility budget balances at $2,526,000 in revenues and expenses, while wastewater comes out at $1,773,500 for revenue and expenses alike.
A general rundown of revenues listed in the general budget includes the following:
• $1,250,000 from shared state revenue
• $720,515 from general property taxes
• $180,000 from taxes from municipal owned utility ($180,000)
• $140,944 from state aid for streets and recycling
• $100,000 from interest on investments
• $35,000 from park revenue
• $31,400 from other state payments
• $25,000 from rental of city property
• $20,000 from police department salvage and hoist ($20,000)
• $15,000 from park pavilion reservations
• $13,000 from television franchise
• $10,000 from court fines and assessments
• $10,000 for payments in lieu of taxes
• $10,000 from two percent fire dues
• $8,000 from building and sign permits
• $6,800 from state aid for recycling
• $5,000 from mobile home parking fees
• $4,500 from liquor and malt beverage licenses
• $3,300 from dog license revenue
• $3,000 from police department K9 donations
• $2,000 from police department revenue
• $1,800 from parking violations
• $1,300 from operators licenses
• $1,000 from street earnings
• $1,000 from cemetery charges, fees, and sales
• $1,000 from recycling revenue, and
• A small remainder made up of small items.

On the expense side of the ledger, meanwhile, are a host of items, including but not limited to the following:
• Police department wages and salaries ($512,454)
• Health and dental insurance for city employees ($250,000)
• Principal long term note CE ($175,000)
• Transfer out for library appropriations ($106,000)
• Storm sewer outlay ($100,000)
• Street machinery outlay ($100,000)
• City share of retirement ($90,000)
• Clerk treasurer wages and salaries ($80,000)
• Clerk treasurer contracts ($85,000)
• Park wages and salaries ($60,000)
• City share of social security ($55,000)
• Wages and salaries for snow and ice removal ($40,000)
• Interest on long term note ($40,000)
• Recycling contracted employees ($40,000)
• Shop outlay ($40,000)
• Snow and ice removal general operations ($30,000)
• General park operations ($35,000)
• Street lighting ($30,000)
• Fire department wages and salaries ($20,000)
• Parks and playground outlay ($20,000)
• Park utilities ($20,000)
• Street machinery wages and salaries ($18,000)
• General dam operations ($17,000)
• General operations for street signs and markings ($16,000)
• Shop wages and salaries ($15,000)
• Park building repair ($15,000)
• Repair of streets general wages and salaries ($15,000)
• Street repair general operations ($15,000)
• Recycling wages and salaries ($15,000)
• Police outlay ($13,100)
• Fire outlay ($11,200)
• Refuse and garbage collection general operations ($9,000)
• Safety equipment for streets ($8,500)
• Snow and ice removal general operations - other ($8,000)
• Cemetery wages and salaries ($7,500)
• General cemetery operations ($2,500)
• Weed cutting wages and salaries ($6,000)
• Park feed for animals ($3,500)
• Park repairs ($2,000), and
• Park equipment repairs ($1,500), and
• A host of related small items.

The final 2026 Stanley city budget awaits further revision and review.