Hoschton council approves FY2026 budget including master plan funding and park allocation

Hoschton — The Hoschton City Council approved the FY2026 budget at its recent meeting, including $100,000 earmarked for a city master plan (described in discussion as a 60/40 split across fiscal years) and funding toward a planned park that also has an associated $500,000 grant award.

Council members spent the bulk of the discussion clarifying how the $100,000 planning contract would be used and whether hiring the land planner under the planned scope could affect eligibility for the $500,000 park grant. Several council members said they prefer the planner the council previously interviewed, and the mayor said the city expects a formal contract to be signed in the coming week and that the mayor would execute it once legal review is complete.

The city’s finance/administrative staff told the council that the overall budget numbers did not change after a lateline edit to add on-call pay for departments. The council was told the budget also includes funding for two additional police officers and approximately $750,000 for roadway work (referred to as New Street / White Street in discussion).

Council members debated whether to wait for a complete master plan before moving forward with the park. Staff and council said the park’s current design work is with EMI (project manager) and Brewer Engineering (engineer) and that the council can accept bids and, if bids come in within the requested budget, begin site work that would satisfy the grant timing. Staff summarized the practical approach: if park construction bids fall within the budget, the city can move forward; if they exceed budget, the council will reconsider or amend the budget.

After discussion, a motion to approve the FY2026 budget as presented carried by voice vote with council members raising hands in favor.

What the council decided

- Approved the FY2026 budget, including $60,000 (year 1) and $40,000 (year 2) for a master plan/land planner and continued funding toward the city park and related capital projects. - Direction to staff: proceed with procurement and, if park bids are within budget plus the grant, move forward; if bids exceed available funding, return to council to adjust scope or funding.

Budget- and project-related clarifications recorded during the meeting

- The planner’s formal contract had not been fully executed at the time of the vote; the mayor said he would sign the contract once legal review and the consultant’s final contract were exchanged. - Staff said the $500,000 park grant has timing requirements; moving dirt or otherwise beginning work within the grant’s window is important to preserve the grant but some grant administrators allow short delays subject to approval. - EMI is serving in a project management role; Brewer Engineering is the engineer listed to produce construction-ready documents and will be the contractor selection path when the city goes to bid.

Next steps

Staff expects to finalize and circulate the planner’s contract to council and to proceed with the park bid process. Council members said they want to preserve the grant while retaining the option to ask the planner to review or augment the park design later if funding allows.

Votes and formal action

- Motion: approve FY2026 budget including master plan funding and park allocations. Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. Outcome: approved (council voted in favor by raised hands).