Lexington City Council held a public hearing on an ordinance to appropriate funds for the 2026-27 fiscal year at its regular business meeting on May 7.
No action was taken on the ordinance at the meeting, and no citizens spoke during the public hearing. Council will vote on the ordinance at its June 4 meeting.
In the upcoming fiscal year, salaries for city staff currently making less than the living wage as calculated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will increase to $19.88 per hour, an increase of $1.88 from the FY26 living wage. Staff making more than $19.88 per hour but less than $100,000 per year will receive a 4 percent raise, while employees making more than $100,000 will receive a 3 percent increase in salary.
No increase to the personal property and real estate tax rates is proposed for the upcoming fiscal year. The city’s real estate tax rate is 92 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the personal property tax rate is $4.25 per $100 of assessed value.
Water rates will increase by 8 percent, to $47.70 for customers within the city and to $64.40 for customers outside of the city limits – increases of $3.54 and $4.78, respectively. Additionally, the fee for customers who use the city’s sewer system but not the water system will increase substantially. For customers within the city, the fee will increase from $110.18 to $352.50, and for customers outside of the city limits, the fee will rise from $148.74 to $512.10. The recently adopted stormwater fee will also increase to the full approved amount, rising from 30 cents per equivalent dwelling unit to 60 cents per equivalent dwelling unit.
