2026 City Budget

Bloomington's 2026 Budget and our Path Forward - Prioritizing what Matters Most

Each year the City Council approves a budget to fund City services such as Public Safety, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation. Similar to other organizations, the City of Bloomington is facing budget challenges. Pressures on the budget include expiring funding sources, rising costs of goods and services, and aging infrastructure and facilities.

Shifting to Priority-Based Budgeting

To navigate these pressures, Bloomington is implementing Priority-Based Budgeting—a government finance best practice to help us:

• Evaluate all City programs based on community needs and the value they provide.
• Align resources with the Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together. strategic plan priorities.
• Increase transparency and accountability.
• Make data-driven strategic decisions.

What you need to know

• We’re committed to understanding the impacts on the community of these budget decisions.
• We’ll use resident feedback, data and new tools to make strategic, sustainable decisions.
• Final decisions rest with the City Council, with guidance from City staff and the new budgeting model.

Visit blm.mn/budget for more information including links to the budget discussions with City Council, presentation materials, and historical and current budget documents. The page will be updated continuously through the budget cycle.