The Spencer City Council and senior leaders are in a tough spot when it comes to figuring out a budget for next year.

Like any other small to midsized community in America today, Spencer has to balance its ability to cover the ever rising costs of equipment, supplies and regulatory compliance with the need to make investments to help the city grow economically, all while trying to keep taxes at a reasonable rate. Never an easy task, and as often as not it's a thankless one.