Image courtesy of the city of Jefferson

The Jefferson City Council met Tuesday night in regular session.

The Council heard the results of the Jefferson Public Library Readiness Study for fundraising for an expansion project. Melissa Pence with Amperage Marketing and Fundraising went over different surveys to gauge the receptiveness and support for an expansion of the library. She recommended that the library move forward with a capital campaign to raise $3 million over a five year pledge period of private donations. 

The Council also set two public hearings. The first is for the proposed property tax levy for the 2026 fiscal year, which will be held as a special meeting on April 1st at 5:30pm. City Administrator Scott Peterson reiterated that the property tax levy is proposed to remain the same as the current fiscal year, at $14.88 per $1,000 of property valuation. The second hearing is the next regular council meeting on February 25th to issue no more than $2 million of debt for capital improvement projects, as well as an engagement letter with Piper Sandler to be the underwriter. 

Additionally, the Council approved purchasing a fire truck for $420,498 to replace a pumper truck that, according to Fire Chief Jack Williams, is no longer certified and therefore repairs will not be made. They also approved the third pay estimate to Caliber Concrete of $20,092 for the pickleball court project, and the 24th pay estimate to Shank Constructors of $533,902 for the Wastewater Treatment Plant improvement project. The Council also approved a proclamation from Dorinda Wehde with New Opportunities for March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.