Mount Pleasant council reviews proposed 2025–26 budget, compensation plan and tax rate in workshop

Mount Pleasant staff briefed the City Council on the proposed 2025–26 budget during a workshop Tuesday, focusing on reserve levels, utilities planning, compensation recommendations and the proposed property tax rate.

City staff said the proposed budget includes a 3% market adjustment for employees and step increases for employees below step 10 contingent on satisfactory performance evaluations. The staff presenter described the compensation approach as a market adjustment rather than a cost-of-living increase and cautioned that a flat payment (for example, $1,000 to all employees) would “disrupt the continuity” of the adopted step-and-range pay plan.

Staff reported that the general fund for fiscal 2025–26 is proposed at roughly $15.08 million (down slightly from the prior year figure cited in the presentation), while the utilities fund is proposed at about $19.1 million, compared with a current budget around $18.8 million. Staff said utilities are projected to end the fiscal year with an estimated surplus (presenter noted an approximately $1.2 million surplus figure for utilities that would increase reserves to roughly $4.3 million by year end) and recommended deferring a planned additional 5% utility-rate increase because the fund is returning toward industry-standard…