The upcoming Tuesday, April 28, 2026 (6:30 pm) council meeting would be a good one to prioritize attending because council will be holding the required public hearing for the annual fiscal year budget.

The budget is due to the state auditor on April 30, 2026 so the quick turnaround time does beg the question if the public hearing is more of a symbolic formality.

The public has a right to know how the city plans to spend our money and the council has a responsibility to hear from us.

If we had been more informed about the FY26 annual budget, we could have avoided losing $36,000 that staff signed off on for mass AI surveillance.

$36,000 could have fed 30 families of 4 for a year.

A city like Coralville that has no infrastructure in place for social services especially needs the eyes of the public on the fiscal year budget.