BRAINERD — After reviewing budget numbers for 2026, the Brainerd City Council hopes to bring the necessary levy down from preliminary estimates.

The council met in a workshop on Monday, Aug. 25, and looked at rough estimates for next year’s budget. As it stands the city would need a property tax levy increase of more than 12% over 2025 to balance the budget, but there are still many unknowns.

Council members must set the preliminary levy by the end of September but agreed to hold off as long as they can in order to get more concrete numbers and try to get the number as low as possible. While the final levy can be — and many times is — lower than the preliminary levy, it’s that preliminary number, Finance Director Connie Hillman explained, that is used when the county mails property tax s

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