Lincoln City Council approves LES rate hike, awards recognition

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Lincoln City Council on Monday moved forward with a 3% rate increase for the Lincoln Electric System after delaying the vote by two weeks, along with approving numerous other business items including liquor licenses and recognizing a parks department employee.

The council deferred action on both the LES 2026 budget and rate schedules from its Nov. 3 meeting to Nov. 17, according to the official meeting agenda. The Lincoln City Council unanimously approved Lincoln Electric System's 2026 budget proposal, which includes a 3% systemwide rate increase for customers. The proposed adjustment is largely driven by rising power costs and transmission expenses — factors that are primarily beyond LES's control, according to LES officials. If the proposal is adopted, an average LES residential customer would see an increase of about $3.22 on their monthly bill.

LES recommended internal budget reductions, including delaying or scaling back non-essential projects, to help minimize the impact on customers. These cost-saving measures have allowed LES to reduce the proposed rate increase from likely being more than 4%.

The council also honored achievement during the Monday session. Wade Noll from the Parks and Recreation Department received the Mayor's Award of Excellence for June 2025 in the categories of Community Engagement, Civic Innovation and Cultural Vitality. Noll organizes youth events designed to encourage youth participation in athletics, noting such programs are great opportunities for kids in Lincoln to be active and have fun.

The council approved five liquor license applications and multiple professional services agreements, including engineering work for the Lincoln Beal Slough Trail project and construction services for a traffic signal project at Cotner Boulevard and Adams Street. Board appointments to the Community Health Endowment were also confirmed.

Council members pressed LES on transmission cost projections during the public hearing. Councilman Weber asked for clarity on a roughly $30 million estimated increase in transmission expenses over 2026-2029; LES staff said those are shared projects that will be billed to footprint members over time and that the estimate reflects preliminary plans. The council meets regularly on Mondays and will return on Nov. 10 as originally scheduled; there will be no meeting on Nov. 17 due to the Veterans Day holiday, though that meeting was later moved back to Nov. 17 to allow the rate vote to proceed.