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Administrator presents steep FY2026 gap; commission weighs millage increase, cuts and employee health changes
Summary
Administrator Allen presented a proposed FY2026 budget that begins with a roughly $26 million shortfall and recommends a mix of departmental cuts, fee updates, a proposed 2‑mill property tax increase and phased employee health premium changes; a motion to adopt a stepped employee premium schedule failed at the meeting.
City Administrator Allen told the Augusta‑Richmond County Commission that the proposed fiscal 2026 budget begins with a roughly $26 million gap between projected revenues and expenditures and that staff worked to reduce that shortfall but still face continuing pressures from rising healthcare and operating costs.
“We have to confront the reality we are facing,” Allen said, warning commissioners that the situation is acute: “One of the staff said, ‘the house is on fire.’” Allen said staff found more than $5 million in reductions and asked departments to model a further 3% cut to their 2026 requests, but additional revenue and structural changes will be required to close the remainder of the gap.
The Administrator highlighted several drivers: the expiration of one‑time American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds used in FY2025 (about $7.4 million that cannot…
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