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Greenville council adopts $504.5 million combined budget; utilities rate increases explained
Summary
The Greenville City Council approved the city'wide FY 2025-26 budget package, including the city operating fund and related utility and authority budgets, and heard explanations about recent Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) rate pressures and pass-throughs.
Greenville City Council on June 12 approved the city'wide fiscal 2025-26 budget package, moving forward a combined budget that the council and staff said totals about $504.5 million.
City staff presented the final proposed budget as the council prepared for the adoption vote. The combined package includes the city operating funds ($185,000,000 in total operating funds with the city operating fund at $118,800,000), the Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) budget at $314,000,000, the Convention and Visitor Authority at just over $2,000,000, and Shepherd Memorial Library at $2,900,000, producing the combined total staff presented as $504,500,000.
The council voted to approve the budget 6-0.
Why it matters: Council members discussed the utility rate impacts that underlie part of the proposed revenues. Council member Foreman said he had asked GUC questions about a recent rate increase and described the causes as costs passed down from Duke Energy for coal-ash cleanup and higher wholesale power prices.
Foreman said, "it is important that citizens know that Greenville Utilities is only passing on about 25% of what that increase is. They are actually absorbing, roughly 75% of what that increase is." The comment was presented to explain how the local utility is managing wholesale cost increases and to put the proposed budget choices in context.
Supporting details: Staff framed the adoption as the final step in the budget process. The council made the motion to approve and recorded a unanimous vote. Council discussion before the vote included questions and clarifications on utility rate drivers and communications to the public.
What happens next: With the council'approved budget, city staff may proceed with implementing the FY 2025-26 spending and rate plans as presented. Council members asked staff for additional context and information for the public; one council member asked staff to work with GUC to prepare a five-year look-back of GUC rates and rate changes for electricity, gas, water and sewer, including temporary and proposed changes.
