The Ozark Board of Aldermen heard a reading of their proposed 2026 operations and capital improvement budgets at their regular meeting Monday night, as well as the city’s first ever capital improvement plan.
The capital Improvements plan details 70 projects for 2026 through 2030, with a total estimated cost of $118.5 million. Most of the projects are scheduled for the future, with no designated funding.
24 projects at a cost of approximately $9.2 million are planned for 2026.
2026 projects include maintenance of the OC, road rehabilitation sealing and striping vehicle updates for the Ozarks Police, work on trails at Garrison Springs and the Finley River Trail and the start of work on a new police department headquarters.
In the next five years Ozarks also has plans for a City Hall Remodel, a police department gun range, a new Grubaugh park pavilion and renovation of the pool there, new buildings for its Parks department, canine control and public works and 25 acres of park land acquisition.
Ozark’s proposed budget for 2026 will be $44.3 million, down 5% from last year. City Administrator Eric Johnson explained, "that decrease is the result of one-time expenditures and/or grant funds or various funds that are no longer being needed to be repeated in this budget.”
But Johnson said, some ongoing operating expenses are expected to increase in cost by 10 to 15%.
Meanwhile, he expects the city’s largest revenue sources to remain flat.
"Our one cent sales tax and our 3/8 cent transportation tax will generate about $6.7 million," Johnson said. “We’re projecting zero percent growth. We are hoping that we make our budget projection for 2025 and we’re maintaining that projection for 2026.”
The budget document shared with council claims that the city’s lack of a “use tax” on online sales is losing the city an estimated $800,000 annually in potential revenue. Ozark voted down a use tax in 2022; Christian County voted down a use tax during elections earlier this month.
Detailed discussion of the budget proposal is planned during a work session with the board Thursday.