City Holds First Budget Hearing

by SC Reporter Emilie Alfino

The City Council held its first required budget hearing, at which it voted unanimously to adopt the tentative 2.5 millage rate and the tentative FY26 budget of $216,061,856 – a 7.35 percent decrease from FY2025.

The final budget hearing will be on September 25, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in MacKenzie Hall, 800 Dunlop Road.

Although it is too late for this budget, Vice Mayor Holly Smith proposed adding $75,000 for a federal lobbyist, and the Council suggested establishing a $740,000 reserve for payment of the principal on the bridge loan.

Council also considered a future stormwater assessment. City Manager Dana Souza did mention that the city’s spending plan is based on a year without a storm.

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