The Wells City Council proposed one of their lowest preliminary budget increases and levy hike amounts in years during their meeting last Monday night.

The council set the proposed 2021 levy at $1.305 million, an increase of $41,431 over the current 2020 year’s levy of $1.263 million.

That increase works out to a hike of 3.28 percent in the levy.

In comparison, the preliminary levy increase was at 10.8 percent in 2020, 16.3 percent in 2019 and 15 percent in 2018.

“I think this is the lowest preliminary increase in the levy since 2015,” city administrator CJ Holl said. “And I want to remind everyone this is the preliminary levy, so it could decrease by the time of the final levy (in December), but it cannot increase. If it does decrease it could be the lowest increase in many years.”

The increases were at 2.30 percent in 2011 and 2.50 percent in 2012.

Even with the small proposed increase, Holl spent some time pointing out various things in the budget to show improvements to the city will still go on in 2021.

Among the projects are upgrades in the lighting at City Hall, new locker rooms at the pool, new picnic tables in the parks, a rear cage for a new police squad, servicing of fire trucks, seal coating of streets and several capital items including a greens mower for the golf course.

As part of the resolution passed by the council setting the preliminary levy amount, a date of Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m., as the time for the annual Truth In Taxation public hearing, after which the final budget and levy will be set.