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City levy goes down, while city budget remains flat
RANDOLPH — Randolph residents will see a relatively steady city budget this year, with only slight changes to spending and property tax needs, according to the 2025-26 budget summary.
The city projects $3.74 million in disbursements and transfers for 2025-26 — virtually unchanged from last year’s $3.75 million estimate and down from $4.05 million in 2023-24.
The levy is going down this year to 63 cents. Last year’s levy was at 65 cents. The decreases are directly attributable to the flood control project, which was pretty much wrapped up in 2024, said Randolph Assistant City Clerk Josh Rayford.
What stands out most in this year’s budget is the city’s cash r eserve of $1.53 million, a sizeable cushion equal to nearly half of annual spending. This reserve is meant to cover emergencies, unexpected costs, or future projects without immediately raising taxes.
The assessed valuation for this year went up 10.45 percent. Last year, Randolph property was assessed at $50,072,370, while that assessment went up to $55,303,406 this year.
The total property tax requirement for 2025-26 is $352,265.78. That includes: $276,515.78 for general city operations $75,750 for bond payments For taxpayers, this represents a modest increase. For example, a $100,000 homeowner will see their city property tax bill rise by about $51 a year, while a $200,000 homeowner will pay roughly $102 more annually.
The city is keeping spending in check, building up healthy reserves, and relying only modestly on property tax increases. The steady budget suggests no major new projects or costly expansions are planned this year.
For residents, the main takeaway is that Randolph’s finances are stable: taxpayers are contributing slightly more, but the city is maintaining services while also putting money aside for the future.
Rayford said the increase is directly attributable to rising expenses, especially in insurance rates.
“The cost of fixing and replacing things has just gone up, so the cost to insu re those things has gone up — plain and simple,” he said.
The city is also budgeting for some HVAC updates at the city auditorium and at the library, he said.
