The Manhattan City Commission approved the 2025 City budget this past week. The $229 million budget can be broken down by the following expenditure categories:
- $45 million General Fund for City operations and departments (Airport, City Manager’s Office, Community Development, Human Resources, Legal, Finance, Manhattan Fire Department, Parks and Recreation, Public Utilities, and Public Works)
- $4.6 million in Internal Service Funds (Fleet and Information Technology)
- $54 million Enterprise Fund (Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater)
- $37 million Bond and Interest Fund (debt)
- $78 million in Special Revenue Funds (such as sales tax and special sales taxes like the Street, Parks and Recreation, and Economic Development sales taxes; transient guest taxes; employee benefit fund; fire equipment reserve; public library; and police department)
The City said that the 2025 budget has numerous revenue sources, of which 71% of all revenues supporting the entire annual City budget come from beginning cash fund balances, sales taxes, property taxes, franchise fees, and various transfers.
Property taxes support $38 million of the City’s overall budget, with $21 million dedicated to the Riley County Police Department (RCPD), $3.7 million to the Manhattan Public Library (MPL), and the remaining $12 million reserved for City operations. The 2025 levy of 52.945 mills for the City is a 3.996-mill increase over 2024, with 1.236 mills dedicated to the RCPD and MPL.
Due to a lack of revenues, the 2025 budget does not include raises for City staff — other than firefighters represented by the fire union — and does not include any new equipment or capital projects funded by the General Fund.