M-11 - Typical Budget Timeline - FY 25-26

Typical Budget Timeline *Dates noted by an asterisk are statutory deadlines or requirements. <table> <tr> <th>Budget Timeline</th> <th>Date</th> </tr> <tr> <td>City elected officials and staff members meet to hold preliminary budget discussions and schedule formal work sessions and budget adoption dates</td> <td>November and December</td> </tr> <tr> <td>City department heads give budget and proposals to city finance officer</td> <td>Early January</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Budget work session(s) with staff members and city council</td> <td>January 20 (some cities may hold additional work sessions and would add those into their schedule)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>City finalizes budget plan to complete information required in Proposed Tax Rate form; council schedules Proposed Tax Rate public hearing</td> <td>March 3</td> </tr> <tr> <td>City submits Proposed Tax Rate form to Iowa Department of Management</td> <td>March 5*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Notice of hearing on Proposed Tax Rate published</td> <td>March 27</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Public hearing on Proposed Tax Rate (state code requires this hearing to be held separately of any other city council meeting and no other business may be discussed</td> <td>April 7</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Council receives and adopts final proposed budget and schedules public hearing (this can be done in the same evening as the Proposed Tax Rate hearing, but it must be set up as a separate, regular council meeting)</td> <td>April 7</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Notice of hearing on adoption of final budget published</td> <td>April 10</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Budget hearing and adoption of final budget by resolution</td> <td>April 21</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Certified budget to county auditor and filed with IDOM</td> <td>April 30*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Persons affected by the budget have 10 days after the date of certification to file a written protest</td> <td>May 10*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>IDOM certifies taxes back to county auditor</td> <td>June 15*</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Budget takes effect</td> <td>July 1*</td> </tr> </table> NOTICE REQUIREMENT: Notice of the hearing on the Proposed Tax Rate and of the proposed annual budget must be given not more than 20* days nor less than 10* days before the date of the hearing. DETAILED BUDGET: The detailed budget must be available for public inspection at least 10* days before the final budget hearing and 20* days before final date for certification, and is to be available at the clerk's and mayor's offices and the public library, or posted at three places designated by ordinance if there is no library.