In a presentation during the Omaha City Council's regular Tuesday meeting, the mayor shared a $1.7 billion total plan that includes a 6.7% increase in general fund spending to $600 million.
It includes a $5 million or nearly 20% boost to the Parks department budget following a report last year that showed a $5 million spending gap in Parks maintenance.
An additional $5 million in capital projects is planned.
In this current year, philanthropic groups pledged $5 million to help cover the maintenance funding gap. For 2027, the groups conditioned their pledge on the City putting in a $5 million match.
Other drivers of the general fund increase include boosting overall full-time employees by 43. Parks will receive 14, including an assistant parks director position and a project manager position to aid in improving maintenance and capital projects.
The Omaha Police Department is getting 7 new full-timers, all in non-sworn positions to help in a variety of capacities from forensics to education. Additionally, the City is boosting wages 6.4% to keep Omaha’s sworn staff at 5% above the next highest paying Nebraska law enforcement agency. The higher wages and stepped-up recruiting efforts are helping fill a sworn staff shortfall. Staffing currently is at 835, and the City hopes to reach 906 in 2027.
The Omaha Fire Department is getting nine new firefighter positions next year, which the administration says will reduce callback costs and ease the personal and physical strain callback puts on firefighters. The City will continue to invest in firefighter health screenings.
The Omaha Public Library system is getting seven new full-time employees through grant-funded positions. The City is also upping its spending on materials by 8 percent to shrink wait times.
The Omaha Planning Department would receive $850,000 for a consultant to help update and modernize the zoning and subdivision code.
The Public Works Department would receive six new full-time employees to assist in Water Resource Recovery, Parking and Mobility and Vehicle Maintenance divisions. Much of the general fund increase is going to higher solid waste collections costs associated with inflation.
The department also is requesting $3.5 million to bring four additional parking facilities online: The Duo, The Beacon, Millwork, and Builders District at 15th and California. The four garages combined will add 3,836 spaces to our growing downtown.
The Mayor says the budget also includes a six-year look ahead on major construction activity in the Capital Improvement Program, or CIP, which covers 2027 through 2032.
Highlights include:
· The future addition of Fire Station 70 in northwest Omaha. The City is also planning on how to organize police-fire services downtown. This would serve the growing population of the urban core.
· The City will seek bond authority this fall for Tranquility Park’s transformation into a soccer magnet. The City is increasing the number of turf fields to 16 to attract regional and national tournaments plus have natural surface trails and trails for mountain bikes.
For the City’s general operating fund budget, the city relies principally on sales and use tax, which is tracking higher for 2027. Service charges and investment income are tracking higher.
Property taxes are a fifth of the general fund budget. The proposed budget does not change the property tax levy.
(Picture from Visit Omaha)