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Finance committee adopts FY2026 budget calendar, sets property-tax hearing dates
Summary
The Stonecrest Finance Committee reviewed and revised the FY2026 budget calendar on May 21, setting key dates for department worksheets, a June 9 joint meeting and a June 26 council hearing with intent to adopt the millage; staff also discussed advertising requirements for property-tax notices.
Stonecrest Finance Committee members reviewed the FY2026 budget calendar and the property-tax (millage) adoption schedule at their May 21 meeting, confirming advertisement and public-hearing dates and discussing coordination with county requirements.
Finance Director Lakisha Ames said the calendar will move department worksheets to July, with a joint Finance/TIPs meeting on Sept. 10 to consider capital-improvement recommendations. She summarized the timeline: department worksheets distributed in July, departmental reviews and CIP recommendations in August/September, final department revisions in October, public hearings in June and the council adoption in late June. “In October, we—ll move forward with the advertisement of the public hearing. The city manager in the mail will present the first proposed budget, and then we—ll have a second public hearing,” she said.
On property taxes, Ames outlined the rate-adoption schedule: a May 29 advertisement and press release; a June 9 special-call noon public hearing (to satisfy the statutory requirement for at least one daytime hearing) and a June 9 evening work session; and a June 26 council meeting to hold a final public hearing with intent to adopt the millage. She said the city will submit signed adoption documents to the tax commissioner's office before the early July deadline (transcript referenced July 5). Ames also noted DeKalb County—s requirement for printed legal ads and said the city routinely uses the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Champion (the county legal organ) in addition to digital postings to meet county notice rules.
Committee members asked for clarity about the capital-improvement fund (separate from the general fund) and reaffirmed that large capital projects such as sewer work and restroom construction are budgeted through that fund. Members discussed canceling the Aug. 20 finance meeting and consolidating work into the Sept. 10 joint meeting with TIPs.
The committee also asked council members to bring specific priority requests to the June 19 budget retreat (for example, suggested changes to the $10,000 council-initiative allotment or requests for new full-time positions). Ames said such priorities should include recommended dollar amounts to make the retreat most productive.
Next steps: staff will finalize the advertisement materials, confirm publication dates with county legal organs and bring the midyear and FY2026 budget materials back to the committee for review ahead of the scheduled public hearings.
