Here are key highlights from the August 11, 2025 City Council meeting.
COUNCIL LOWERS 2025 PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATES
Council approved new property tax levy rates for 2025:
- General Fund levy reduced from 0.2595 to 0.2479
- Downtown Business District levy reduced from 0.6888 to 0.6589
- Parks levy set at 0 — continuing the promise made when voters approved the Parks and Storm Water Sales Tax
How This Affects You: Lower property taxes while keeping parks and essential services funded.
CITYWIDE BRAND REFRESH APPROVED
Council approved a comprehensive citywide brand refresh with Chandler Thinks, including:
- Community engagement with residents, businesses, students, and local groups
- Updated, unified visual identity across City departments, utilities, police, fire, facilities, signage, and websites
- Alignment of Lebanon’s image with growth, heritage, and future opportunities
How This Affects You: A stronger, consistent brand attracts visitors, jobs, and investment.
UTILITY FEEDER CLEARING CONTINUES
- Council renewed an agreement with Lebanon Arbor Care for electric feeder clearing:
- Clearing over 17 miles of electric lines to reduce outages
- Part of a multi-year program started in 2021
- Focuses on areas most affected by storms or overgrowth
How This Affects You: More reliable power and fewer storm-related outages.
DOWNTOWN PARK LIGHTING APPROVED
- Council approved new lighting for the Downtown Business District Park:
- Wireless system allows scheduled on/off times
- Matches existing downtown lighting for a unified look
How This Affects You: Safer, more welcoming space for evening activities downtown.
Other News
- Mayor Jared Carr recognized Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day in Lebanon, honoring those wounded or killed while serving in the U.S. military
- Council approved formal disposition of outdated police records in line with state requirements
Watch the full meeting on the City of Lebanon YouTube channel or view official documents at www.lebanonmissouri.org.