Nashville council previews FY‑26 budget: sanitation fee jump, fees adjusted and water‑sewer CPI option discussed

The Town of Nashville council reviewed a proposed fiscal‑year 2026 budget at its May 20 meeting that would raise the town’s sanitation and recycling fees and includes multiple fee schedule changes, sidewalk funding and a proposal to consider indexing water and sewer rates to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Randy, a town staff member presenting the budget packet, told the council the proposed budget includes a change to the monthly sanitation fee and recycling fee. The packet shows the sanitation fee proposed at $40.24 per month and the recycling fee proposed at $7.25 per month; staff described the sanitation change as the largest single fee adjustment in the packet. The packet and on‑record discussion show municipal budget totals, one‑time purchases and proposed uses of fund balance; staff said increases in vendor and operating costs made the fee changes necessary.

Councilmembers discussed adopting smaller, incremental increases—using a CPI adjustment each year—rather than larger, infrequent rate…