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Tiverton council adopts FY2026 unified budget with 2.7% tax increase
Summary
The Tiverton Town Council voted to adopt a $60.6 million unified budget for fiscal 2026, a preliminary adoption subject to state advertising requirements and a subsequent public hearing to set the tax rate.
The Tiverton Town Council adopted the town’s proposed unified FY2026 budget on June 9, approving $60,615,849 in required revenue and expenses and a preliminary property-tax increase of 2.7 percent.
Council President and budget presenters said the proposed tax rate would be about $11.35 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $11.05 this fiscal year. The council voted to adopt the budget resolution pending required state advertisement; the town must publish the rate and hold an additional public hearing before formally adopting the tax rate under state law.
The budget package was presented after months of work by the budget committee. Town staff explained that the state eliminated the automotive tax and currently reimburses municipalities at a frozen amount; that payment will decline over time but remains in place for now. Councilors asked about contingency funding reductions: staff said contingency was smaller this year because last year’s contract settlements for police and fire moved those dollars into departmental line items.
The council approved the proposed unified budget resolution on a voice vote after the motion was made and seconded. Staff noted that the adoption at this meeting is preliminary and that a second hearing and final adoption will follow publication per state statute.
The council and administration said they will insert today’s date as the operative date in the adopted resolution where required for town records. The council did not change the total appropriation or the advertised scope of the budget at this meeting.
Looking ahead, council members said the charter review commission is discussing whether to raise the town’s minimum unassigned fund target above the current three percent policy.
Votes at a glance: The council voted to adopt the proposed unified budget resolution as presented; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript beyond the chair’s announcement that the motion carried and no opposition was voiced at the moment of final adoption.
