The City of Fairview Board of Commissioners on May 15 advanced the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget and discussed how building‑permit revenue, bond funds and other sources will affect parks operations, capital projects and staffing.

Why it matters: The proposed budget allocates new permit‑generated revenue to parks, establishes bond funding for several park projects and frames a policy choice on the city’s tax rate; commissioners also debated whether to keep a $15,000 artificial‑intelligence market‑analysis subscription in the near‑term budget or remove it to free funds for staffing.

City Manager Tom Doherty said this is a first read of the annual budget and reminded the board there will be a second reading and a public hearing before adoption. Doherty emphasized that this year the parks department will receive a designated share of building‑permit revenues. “You see the 259,700 that is that is going in,” he said, referring to building‑permit proceeds allocated to parks.

Doherty described changes moving some expenditures into the park budget, said the department has added a naturalist position and described one‑time capital lines for items including the Highway 100 cloverleaf and playground repairs. He summarized personnel and operating costs for parks and explained the city is using building‑permit revenue, the tree bank and bond proceeds to pay several park items.

Commissioners raised whether the budget should include an additional public‑works position. Commissioner Roberts argued the department is operating lean and suggested identifying currently overshot line items to reallocate funds for staffing. Commissioners discussed the approximate cost of adding a maintenance crew member; Doherty said a full cost (salary plus benefits) would be in the low‑to‑mid‑40,000s and that the city’s current cash position could absorb temporary shortfalls.

Placer AI (presented as “Placer AI” in the meeting) drew pointed questions. Several commissioners said they want staff to present a concrete plan for how the tool would be used and how it would produce measurable returns before committing $15,000 in the budget. Commissioner Roberts said, “I want to know on day one what the plan of action is for that and how you plan on incorporating it.” The city manager said the Placer AI vendor will give a presentation before a town‑hall session on May 29 and offered to keep the line item in the budget pending that demonstration; commissioners agreed to hear the presentation before making a final decision.

The board discussed the certified revenue‑neutral tax rate supplied by county staff (0.5904). Vice Mayor McDonald and Mayor Anderson said the administration and finance work aimed to keep the city at or below the revenue‑neutral rate, and Mayor Anderson told the public the city’s budget proposal is designed so that the city itself will not raise its tax rate despite county property reassessments.

Doherty and commissioners reviewed a series of parks‑related line items and capital projects, including a $100,000 bond allocation for the Buoy Park perimeter‑trail bridge; Doherty said staff is evaluating alternatives (a pedestrian bridge versus a low‑water crossing with culverts) and will return with options and cost estimates.

What’s next: The budget will return for a second reading and a public hearing prior to final adoption; staff will present the Placer AI demonstration on May 29 and commissioners said they may remove or keep that $15,000 line item after that review.

Votes and procedural notes: The board recorded a vote on the ordinance (first reading) and the motion carried on a 5–0 roll call; commissioners asked staff for follow‑up details on staffing costs, playground repairs, bridge engineering and grant‑seeking for park projects.