Smooth Rock Falls approves 2026 budget with 4.90% tax increase; water and sewer rates to rise 5.50%

Smooth Rock Falls council approved the town’s 2026 municipal budget on Feb. 2, 2026, setting a 4.90% property-tax increase and raising both water and sewer rates by 5.50%.

The increases will affect what local property owners and utility customers pay this year. The town said the tax change amounts to an average increase of about $78 for residential property owners, while the water and sewer increases are expected to add an average of about $75 per household.

According to the Town of Smooth Rock Falls’ budget notice, the 4.90% tax increase approved as part of the 2026 budget is meant to cover the town’s planned costs for the year.

The town also said water rates and sewer rates will each rise by 5.50% in 2026. The town’s notice estimates the average impact of those utility changes at about $75 per household.

In its notice, the town said the tax and utility adjustments are intended to support “maintaining essential services, infrastructure renewal, and long-term financial stability.”

The town has posted the 2026 operating budget and a separate document for the 2026 capital plan and other operating expenses on the Town of Smooth Rock Falls website.