POST FALLS — Post Falls officials are proposing a $54 million general fund budget for the next fiscal year.

On Aug. 19, City Councilors Ryan Davis and Joe Malloy voted yes and Samantha Steigleder, Randy Westlund and Aaron Plew voted not to approve the budget as presented. City Councilor Nathan Ziegler was unable to vote due to an internet connectivity issue.

A budget hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

It includes a 3% property tax increase.

City Councilor Aaron Plew said he found the city to be run “pretty dang efficiently” and noted the increase would be nominal.  

“Inflation is climbing and it’s not going to stop climbing and if we don’t keep up with the city’s needs, anticipated or real, we start digging a hole and that hole is going to be hard to get out of,” Plew said.  

City Councilor Samantha Steigleder worried that Post Falls will have to continue to take an increase year over year, but was also unsure where it would be possible to make cuts to prevent an increase.  

“We do a really good job of setting money aside for replacement funds, for big ticket items and making sure that we have those savings accounts set up,” Steigleder said. “There’s just something in here that I can’t quite identify that makes me so uneasy. We’re trying to play catch-up of this time of prosperity.”  

Deputy administrator Warren Wilson noted that Post Falls homeowners will likely see a lower tax bill for the average home.  

Wilson said the city has been generating less revenue from new construction and annexations due to restrictions from HB 389.

“We're dealing with the effects of capped new construction/annexation revenue and as Mr. Malloy alluded to, we have a very limited capacity for new expenses,” Wilson said.  

Last year, City Councilors voted to use 3% of its foregone budget authority to fund planned improvements for city facilities. This year, they did not take any of the foregone balance.

“When you run things like a business, there are going to be years that are leaner and there’s going to be years that even though people don’t agree, growth for itself,” City Councilor Ryan Davis said. 

The fiscal year for the budget runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026.  

    Post Falls staff included information about historic property tax trends during budget discussions for the 2026 fiscal year Aug. 19 during the City Council meeting.