Lincoln City Council scheduled to hear proposed 2026-28 budget Aug. 3

The Lincoln City Council is scheduled to hold a public meeting and budget hearing Monday, Aug. 3, on Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird’s proposed 2026-28 city budget.

The meeting is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. at the County/City Building, 555 South 10th St. The hearing is a step in the city’s process for considering its next two-year spending plan; the budget is not documented as finally adopted in the available materials.

Proposal remains subject to council action

Nebraska Public Media reported that the mayor’s proposal totals nearly $317 million for the first fiscal year and about $334 million for the second fiscal year. Those figures are proposed spending amounts, not final appropriations.

The news outlet reported that the proposal emphasizes public safety and infrastructure. The proposed budget would cover the 2026-28 period, but the final total and any amendments were not available before the scheduled hearing.

The City of Lincoln Finance Department has published a 2026-28 City Council budget calendar and made budget materials available online. Those materials include the mayor’s June 8, 2026, budget presentation, a July 22 proposed budget and revised council tentative changes.

Public hearing precedes later vote

The Aug. 3 session is scheduled as a public meeting and hearing, rather than a documented final vote on the budget. Nebraska Public Media reported that a council budget vote was expected at a later meeting.

That distinction is significant for residents and city services funded through the plan: council action after the hearing will determine the final appropriations and tax-supported spending. The approved source materials do not provide a final budget amount, a record of amendments adopted by the council or a vote total.

Residents can use the hearing to address the proposed plan before the council completes its budget action. The city’s published budget page also identifies the proposal and tentative council changes that are part of the 2026-28 budget process.

Mayor Gaylor Baird proposed the budget, while the City Council is the body scheduled to hear public input and later act on the spending plan. No approval or rejection should be inferred from the scheduling of the Aug. 3 hearing.