Harpers Ferry council adopts FY 2026 budget; approves fiscal‑year adjustments

The Harpers Ferry Town Council adopted the town’s fiscal year 2026 general fund budget and approved earlier amendments to the FY25 budget during a special meeting on March 26.

The FY26 general fund budget was adopted on a 4-0 roll call. Council members also approved Budget Revision No. 5 for FY25 by voice/roll call earlier in the meeting; Revision No. 5 increases the FY25 general fund by $3,000 (about 1.2%) to reflect new opioid-settlement distribution money and makes several internal adjustments, the presenter said.

Why it matters: Adopting the FY26 budget sets spending priorities and reserves for the coming year and records the council’s decisions on community requests. The council reduced or deferred several requests to preserve the town’s reserves and balance the budget amid uncertain economic conditions.

Major budget actions and numbers: The council’s packet and discussion noted an operational income projection of $2,383,060 for the total budget. For the public safety line the council moved proposed spending from about $80,000 down to $50,000 to preserve reserves; the record shows items carved out included maintaining a $32,000 reserve and an additional $30,000 earmark for a replacement lease vehicle, plus amounts noted for tablets ($15,500) and vests ($5,000). The town also recorded a $30,000 surplus added back to contingency and flagged an estimated $12,000 health‑insurance impact in the police budget.

Allocation decisions for community groups: The budget as adopted included $41,950 for arts and humanities requests from an original total ask noted in the packet and $20,060 for economic development requests (transcript-listed figures reflect the amounts the council approved for inclusion). The council noted that unfulfilled or partially fulfilled allocations can be revisited later in the fiscal year if town finances permit.

Procedure and votes: Budget Revision No. 5 (FY25) was approved earlier in the meeting (voice/roll call recorded as 4-0). The FY26 general fund budget was adopted by roll call: recorded votes in the transcript show George (aye), Chris (aye), Storm (aye), and Chair (aye); the motion carried 4-0.

What the council said: Town staff presented line‑by‑line adjustments and reserve recommendations, noting the council's prior direction to reduce provisional funding requests by roughly 50% to protect reserves. The presenter (identified in the meeting as Deb, a town staff member) explained that several items were deferred so an incoming council could revisit priorities if economic conditions improve.

What’s next: The adopted budget and the FY25 revision will be used to prepare levy estimates and other fiscal documents required by state statute; staff will communicate further details to affected organizations and track any requests to revisit allocations during FY26.