On Tuesday, Superior Mayor Jim Payne presented his 2025 budget proposal to City Council. The proposal increases investments in infrastructure while decreasing the tax levy for the second year in a row and reducing city debt for the seventh year in a row.

“We have invested in solar at our fire hall and we’re paying less in utilities. Staff efficiencies allow us to reduce overtime and probably most importantly since we’re not taking out new debt, the debt service, the payments on that debt get smaller every single year, so as old debts fall off. So all of those expenses allow us to reinvest our increased revenues in other places,” explained Payne.

Councils received a preview of the budget proposal two weeks ago so that they would have the opportunity to ask questions at the City Council meeting. Several councilors asked about a $10 million bond that was included within the budget proposal. The bond is not allocated to anything yet and is there as a contingency.

In the meeting, Paine said that the bond could be used to fund the fire hall if the EPA grant or other federal funding does not come through. Otherwise, the bond could be used for another project or not used at all. If used, it could have to be approved by councilors.

RELATED: EPA grant might fund new Superior fire station and more broadband access

Once the full budget is finalized and passed, every single budget within it will be publicly accessible.

“We want citizens to be able to use the budget book that we’re going to publish here at the end of the year and understand where their money goes, how we’re spending their public dollars and the budget book does that but we’ve been making it much more transparent every single year,” said Paine.