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Biloxi council trims $4.1 million, adopts hiring freeze and travel increase in budget workshop
Summary
At a budget workshop, the Biloxi City Council reduced the FY 2526 proposed budget by about $4.1 million, imposed a hiring freeze, recommended leasing vehicles instead of purchases and approved a $5,000 increase to the council travel line, moving it from $8,000 to $13,000.
Biloxi City Council members on Aug. 1 reviewed and revised a draft fiscal-year 2526 municipal budget, trimming about $4,100,000 and approving a set of steps aimed at balancing revenues and expenses. Council leaders said the package includes a hiring freeze for vacant positions, shifting some vehicle purchases to leases and discretionary cuts across departments. A separate amendment increased the council travel budget from $8,000 to $13,000 by a 6–1 vote. The meeting included public comments from local organizations that asked the council to preserve or restore funding.
Council President: “We trimmed $4,100,000 out of the budget that you had last week,” a council leader said during the workshop as members walked through departmental revisions. The council said much of the reduction came from assumptions about vacancies and constrained capital purchases.
Why it matters: The changes are intended to reduce a projected shortfall and protect the city’s ending fund balance. Council members said personnel and multiyear capital items—generators, HVAC, and fire apparatus—are the largest cost drivers.
Details: The revisions include a formal hiring freeze for vacant positions; any request to fill a frozen vacancy would require a council budget amendment. The administration also proposed leasing some vehicles to lower short-term capital outlays. Staff flagged several large capital line items that contributed to the deficit, including fire apparatus and other delayed maintenance.
On public-safety spending, one council member noted the police budget reflected a roughly $1.9 million reduction tied in part to unfilled positions; staff said the fire capital outlay includes $1,700,000 for two engines and a ladder truck that are budgeted but not expected to be received this fiscal year, with offsetting notes in the capital plan.
Vote on travel: Councilmember Marshall moved to add $5,000 to the legislative travel line (raising it from $8,000 to $13,000); a second was made for discussion. The amendment passed 6–1. Council members said they could still seek further adjustments later in the year by a budget amendment if needed.
Process and next steps: The council president said the administration would present a clean copy of the revised budget at the September meeting and that a public budget hearing is scheduled before the next regular council meeting. Several members reminded colleagues that, if specific needs arise during the fiscal year, they can propose budget amendments.
The council’s workshop kept formal votes limited; the travel-line amendment was the clearest recorded vote taken during the session.
