Portsmouth Council adopts $149.9 million FY26 budget after heated public hearing; several amendment bids fail

The Portsmouth City Council adopted the fiscal year 2026 general fund budget and related fund resolutions at its June 20 meeting, approving a $149,894,940 general fund total after a multi‑hour public hearing and extensive debate.

The council voted to adopt a package of budget‑related resolutions including municipal fees, general fund expenditures, the water fund and sewer fund budgets and several special fund and policy items. The council’s final approval of the general fund (Resolution 8‑2025) passed by roll call 7–2. The municipal fees resolution (Resolution 7‑2025), water fund (Resolution 9‑2025) and sewer fund (Resolution 10‑2025) each passed on roll call; several administrative and investment resolutions passed unanimously.

The meeting included three contested amendment motions introduced by Councilor Bagley that sought to reallocate funds without increasing the manager’s recommended overall total. Those amendment efforts failed: - A motion to set the police department budget at the FY25 funding level (level‑funding rather than the manager’s proposed increase) failed on a roll call, 8–1 (only Councilor Bagley voted yes); the council discussed police overtime, minimum staffing at…