The City of Two Rivers has approved its 2026 city budget, but not without some pushback.
It includes a 3% lift in both expenses and revenue.
City Manager Kyle Kordell says the way the budget was done is a “disciplined approach that keeps every core service running without adding fluff or waste.”
The budget will also include funding to keep the Maritime Metro Transit Route 1 bus service running from Manitowoc, while also delaying some required positions from the state.
There will be a 3.8% increase in the Cool City’s tax levy, or about $5.7 million more.
Council Members Adam Wachowski and Bonnie Shimulunas said the levy was too high, but other members like Darla LeClair said it’s necessary, even though it’s going up.
She expressed that to some disgruntled residents during Monday’s meeting.
“We’re in this just like you guys are,” she stated. “We pay taxes. If we’re trying to come with something conniving so we can take advantage of, we’re taking advantage of ourselves too. We’re up here to serve you, we’re not up here to hurt you.”
The 2026 Two Rivers city budget also included a 2% increase in funding for the Lester Public Library, which some residents at the meeting said was needed.
Another issue residents were concerned about was the city spending about $256,000 on improvements to the Neshotah Beach Concessions Stand.
During public comment, many said it’s not worth that investment, with the stand only being used for “three months of the year.”
Resident Corey Thuss claimed, “All this brought forward with no council discussion, no public input, and no data demonstrating this is a responsible investment, simply because a single resident delivered a sales pitch with no financial and data justification behind it.”
Some also asked the council to put the issue to a referendum for voters to decide. Kordell said during the meeting that he was asked how much of the 2026 budget would go toward the concessions stand.
He told Seehafernews.com, “There’s zero funding for the Neshotah Beach Concessions Stand project in the 2026 budget, none. That would be handled through 10-year capital financing, which keeps us well within the city’s conservative debt cap policy. Every spring, usually in March or April, the council will vote on $2 million in annual capital borrowing, and that’s when a project like this would be considered.”
The Two Rivers council approved moving forward.
The council also voted 6-3 to keep the current city-run model for the concessions stand.
Wachowski was one council member who opposed the idea because of a projected deficit in the city’s general fund next year of about $600,000.
Other items that are budgeted include the resurfacing of 18th and 19th Streets from Jackson to Emmet, and no proposed city electricity, water, storm water, or solid waste.
