Waynesboro staff propose $74,018,262 general fund balanced at 89 cents; budget funds school debt, pay adjustments and public safety staffing

Staff member (presenter) opened the budget work session presenting a recommended general fund of $74,018,262 and said the package “balances at a property tax rate of 89¢,” while noting the proposal reflects multi‑year planning and partial implementation of prior commitments.

The budget matters because it sets the city’s tax rate and spending priorities for core municipal services, personnel and debt service for capital projects such as the Waynesboro High School project. City staff framed the proposal as a multiyear plan that cannot be fully realized in a single fiscal year and asked council for feedback before public hearings and ordinance adoption.

The recommended package and major drivers

The presentation lists several explicit drivers of the increase: partial implementation of a compensation study and salary‑scale adjustment, increased debt service set aside for the Waynesboro High School project, additions to public safety staffing, higher employer health‑insurance costs and increased transfers to school and social‑services programs.

Staff member (presenter) said the budget includes a transfer designated for high‑school debt service by programming a three‑cent reserve for the bond payment. He described the package as a multi‑year plan that shows higher reserves for the same project in 2027 and 2028.

Cameron (staff member) walked through the expenditure changes and called the ‘‘main budget driver this year’’ the salary and compensation adjustments, explaining the recommended step would implement part of a pre‑COVID compensation study. Cameron said the recommended implementation does not reach the study’s full goal but would…