Tucker reviews March finances and budget priorities; stormwater fee hike proposed and new marshal service budgeted

City of Tucker officials reviewed March 2025 financial results and a recommended fiscal-year budget during the council’s April 28 working session, with staff focusing discussion on a proposed increase to the stormwater monthly fee, several staff requests including a municipal marshal service, and capital priorities already in design.

Finance Director Beverly Hilton presented the March financial snapshot, saying the city’s all-funds revenue was approximately $63,000,000 with expenditures of roughly $98,000,000 to date in the current fiscal cycle; she noted the general fund and capital project balances in the packet. "You will see this is the entire budget for the, all funds in the city. We have 63,000,000 in revenue and 98,000,000 in expenditures," Hilton told the council.

City Manager John McHenry and Public Works staff described the stormwater proposal that staff recommended for council consideration: an increase from the current $6 per equivalent residential unit (ERU) per month to $8 per ERU per month. Staff said the $2-per-month increase would generate roughly $1 million in additional annual revenue and allow the city to accelerate replacement of corrugated metal pipe (CMP) stormwater infrastructure. Public Works staff reported CMP accounts for a substantial share of the city’s stormwater piping and that, at the current replacement rate, the inventory would take roughly 20 years to address; the proposed increase shortens that horizon to approximately 15–16 years.

Public Works staff also described the rationale for creating an emergency or contingency balance using SPLOST and stormwater funds to respond more quickly to major failures in the right-of-way, and noted the county’s ERU rate is moving toward $10 per month in neighboring jurisdictions.

On personnel and operating items, the recommended budget includes a package of new positions and service changes. The council heard a proposal to convert existing part-time court bailiff arrangements and contracted security coverage into a formal marshal service. Staff said the marshal proposal would create a full-time chief, a full-time deputy chief, at least one additional full-time marshal and three part-time marshals; staff estimated start-up costs and additional first-year operating expense together would be roughly $402,000 (about $200,000 start-up and about $200,000 annual operating cost), though staff said the start-up cost is a one-time item and operating costs would become baseline in subsequent budgets. Staff also said the marshal service would provide security for City Hall, parks and municipal-court functions and would not perform police traffic enforcement or respond to 911 calls.

Councilors asked for more detail on the list of funded studies and requested a separate one-page handout that lists the proposed new positions and study items. Staff agreed to provide a succinct breakdown of studies and personnel requests in a standalone document.

The packet presented other capital and funding matters: Beverly Hilton explained capital-project status for trail and sidewalk projects and noted—by fund—capital commitments including a $57,000,000 capital program with approximately $10.5 million spent and $21 million encumbered as of March. Staff highlighted projects already in design and permitting, including the Tucker Northlake Trail, portions of Old Moor Cross sidewalks and the First Avenue sanitation facility; the sanitation facility’s construction costs were presented as part of a combined balance for FY26 and staff said permitting and easement resolution would determine an actual construction start date later in the year.

Councilors discussed implementation funding for the Tucker Connects plan and asked that staff consider setting aside funds in the FY26 program so the city could begin smaller priority projects immediately when the plan is adopted rather than waiting a full budget cycle.

Ending: Staff said the council will receive a formal first reading and public hearing on the budget at its May 12 meeting and a possible adoption at the June 9 meeting. Councilors asked for an additional short handout listing new positions and studies and flagged the stormwater fund and marshal-service costs for follow-up.