The Kalona City Council continues to work on the preliminary budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

A few highlights of the budget include some of the city’s partners and surrounding communities, with the city spending $342,000 for contract law services for the next fiscal year – the funds given to the sheriff’s office for local law enforcement. The city is working with Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider to ensure all communities have a voice, including spending on contract law services. 

Kalona City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh says that number is slightly up from last year, but that will be a relief as the city is not adding any additional new deputies at this time. The Kalona Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders are set to get a 3-percent raise based on a previous commitment. The city has also budgeted $4,000 for community events, to help prop up events important to the community, including events from the Kalona Chamber of Commerce and the Kalona Historical Village. The city has also partnered with Washington County Minibus at a cost of $5,000 to help offset some of their costs and continue to provide services to Kalona residents.

Schlabaugh says he has positive feelings toward the budget as currently presented, “We’re excited about the budget. We feel like we’re a little bit ahead of the game. We’ll see what the state does as they’re into their session right now but we feel comfortable with where we’re at and we’ll present that to the public here in the near future.”

Schlabaugh says since 2022, the budget has fluctuated by just a single penny from year to year. Schlabaugh says the council aims to be consistent with the levy authority, and what that might look like to the public. The budget will be presented again at a public hearing in April, where the public’s input will also be accepted.