The financial situation in Two Rivers is very tight, according to the city manager.
Kyle Kordell explained to Seehafernews.com that the 2026 budget was very challenging to put together and that the city’s general fund is treading water and they are barely squeezing by.
“Our finances leave a lot to be desired, and we’ve got some tough choices to make in the near future,” he noted. “There will be more hard conversations and tough choices in the near future, but we look forward to respectful conversations and new ideas with the community to figure this out. There will be no silver bullet or easy answer.”
The 2026 Two Rivers city budget includes a 3% lift to the general fund, with both revenue and expenses going up 3%.
Right now, there are no expected staff cuts and funding will continue for Maritime Metro Route 1, but there are other sacrifices the city had to make.
That includes the delayed hiring of a full-time civil engineer, moving the hiring of a mandated Collections System Operator position.
“We reduced overtime, we reduced seasonal staffing for next year, especially in public works and parks, and rec,” Kordell explained. “We delayed replacing two old squad vehicles that are seven and nine years and they’re usually replaced by now. We postponed water leak detection equipment scaled back planned raises for seasonal and part-time staff from one dollar more per hour to 50 cents more.”
On the upside, the City Manager noted the city switched municipal insurance carriers, which helped save money for residents and in their general fund.
Concessions stand revenue will also go toward the general fund instead of the room tax fund.
The city manager also highlighted some goals, including getting more housing built, focusing on their industrial recruitment strategy, and getting the community more engaged to get a vision for the old Hamilton property.
The council has not approved the budget yet, but could at their December 1st meeting.
