TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – The City Council on Monday approved a maximum budget for fiscal year 2017, and set the date for a public hearing on the $60.96 million budget.

The public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Council Chambers.

City Manager Travis Rothweiler, who gave the presentation to council members on Monday, said the budget is directly linked to the city's 2030 Strategic Plan. The council may “continue to vet the budget and make changes over the next couple of weeks,” he said, “but cannot cross over that ceiling you’ll approve tonight.”

The recommended budget, which includes a 3 percent increase in property tax and a 0.5 percent increase in water rates, is $192,418 or 0.32 percent more than the total net budget for the current fiscal year.

The impact for the owner occupied median-valued home would be $15.52 per year.

The council has yet to decide whether to spend $300,000 that is not allocated in the budget for projects such as the possible installation of electronic reader boards and upgrading the city’s website.

“Our website is starting to show its age a little bit,” Rothweiler said.

He said this was the ninth installment of meetings about the budget, but Councilman Chris Talkington quipped that it was 90.

“It feels like 90,” Rothweiler said.

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