The Crookston Ways and Means Committee met on Monday and continued its review of the preliminary budget for the 2027 fiscal year.
Crookston Fire Chief Shane Heldstab presented the fire department’s budget to the committee, citing an increase in revenue for the FY27 budget compared to the current 2026 budget due to an increase in state grant funding from $45,000 to $48,000. As for expenditures, the department is also expecting an increase for FY27. One area of increase noted by Heldstab in the budget is capital improvement projects, including $92,000 set aside each year to replace an aging fire truck in the current fleet.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REVENUES
FY2026: $107,000
FY2027: $109,287
FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPENSES
FY2026: $1,109,721
FY2027: $1,288,688
Heldstab also presented the expense budget for the emergency management department. Training funding slightly decreased due to a current shortage in staffing, and equipment funds increased for the planned purchase of an emergency water pump.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EXPENSES
FY2026: $12,775
FY2027: $23,025
Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) Director Taylor Wyum attended to present the community development and Valley Technology Park budgets. For community development, Wyum informed the committee that the budgeted expenses for FY27 would drop by around $85,000 from 2026, mainly due to moving the contracting line item into professional fees and receiving a grant for the Woods Addition study conducted last year.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES
FY2026: $413,654
FY2027: $338,010
For Valley Technology Park, revenue is set to increase in 2027 thanks to continued occupancy of additional tenants in the building. For expenses, Wyum pointed out the $200,000 budgeted for 2027 in the Other improvements line item, a capital improvement project planned for next year to replace the building’s metal roof, which suffers leaks on heavy rain days. Wyum anticipates lowering that number once she receives additional bids for the project.
VALLEY TECHNOLOGY PARK REVENUE
FY2026: $90,000
FY2027: $105,000
VALLEY TECHNOLOGY PARK EXPENSES
FY2026: $95,470
FY2027: $277,850
Finance Director Jon Roscoe took over the finance budget discussion, telling the committee that revenue is expected to decrease in 2027 due to lower revenue from food truck vendors. He mentioned that the city council has previously waived food truck license fees for certain events, which has reduced revenue for the department. However, Roscoe was able to reduce expenses for FY27 following the purchase of new software and reduced needs for training and travel.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT REVENUE
FY2026: $21,550
FY2027: $20,500
FINANCE DEPARTMENT EXPENSES
FY2026: $438,567
FY2027: $393,650
Information Technology Director Joel Pyles presented the IT budget to the committee and noted that the FY27 budgeted numbers are projected to be approximately $100,000 lower than the current 2026 numbers. Pyles mentions that the department was able to cut expenses without affecting its services. The department has some capital improvement projects planned for FY27, including $14,000 for new computers and $10,000 for rewiring at the Crookston Municipal Airport.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXPENSES
FY2026: $740,635
FY2027: $638,205
Roscoe has appreciated the department heads coming in to present their budgets to the committee, answer questions that have arisen during the review process, and explain the year-to-year changes. “Well, it’s great because they know what they need for the year to run their departments and make sure they’re running effectively, and so it’s good to have their input to present it to the council of not only what the numbers are but also why they need those funds,” said Roscoe.
With less than two months before the start of the new fiscal year, Roscoe and Interim City Administrator Darin Selzler are continuing to bring more budgets forward, as some of the larger budget areas, like parks and recreation and wastewater, still need to be reviewed before the budget can go before the city council for approval. “I think the next big ones are our parks and recreation, and then the streets and the water and the wastewater departments combined,” said Roscoe. “Those are the kind of big ones left over. It was a good conversation tonight. A lot of information is provided, so everyone can make some good decisions and keep the city running smoothly.”
The next Ways and Means Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 17, immediately following the City Council meeting in the council chambers at City Hall.
