The Ames City Council voted on the city’s budget for the next fiscal year and approved expanding civil rights protections.

Ames residents could pay more in utilities in the upcoming fiscal year, including a proposed 1.5% increase in electricity and 5.5% increase in sanitary sewer rates. The council is reviewing a proposed budget that includes investments in public safety, a new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus, the Fitch Family Indoor Aquatic Center, utility rate increases and major infrastructure projects.

How do you budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year increasing overall spending while keeping the city’s property tax rate slightly lower and holding most staffing levels steady? That’s the goal of the Ames City Council.

It’s tougher than ever to budget for a city due to new legislative mandates on Iowa’s property tax system, forcing cities to find additional revenue to maintain services. For the city of Ames, the loss of property tax revenue has a substantial impact on its budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.