Salisbury council approves amended FY2026 budget, adds assistant city administrator; proposed clerk media specialist removed

The Salisbury City Council on June 9 approved Ordinance 2935 — the citybudget ordinance for July 1, 2025to June 30, 2026 — as amended to reallocate existing funds and add an assistant city administrator position while removing a proposed media specialist role originally tied to the clerkoffice.

Council debate and public comment centered on whether the new communications role should be added now and paid from the FY2026 budget. Administration staff told the council the assistant city administrator represents a reclassification (from a vacant second deputy director position) intended to better align project management and execution. Administration officials said the media specialist/special projects position would have been in the clerkoffice to assist council and administration with communications and special projects but that the job description and HR processing were not finalized before the amendment was offered.

Why it matters: the amendment shifts existing budgeted dollars rather than increasing the overall adopted levy; it creates a senior administrative position intended to support project delivery while triggering a debate about use of limited funds for a communications role. Several council members and members of the public pressed for delay or more vetting of the proposed media specialist, citing tight city finances.

Details of the amendment and vote - The amendment approved adjustments to Schedule A of Ordinance 2935 that included an increase in the mayoroffice/development services line and a decrease in infrastructure and development appropriations; staff described the changes as reallocations among existing budget lines. As read aloud during the meeting, the mayoroffice/development services amount was revised from $1,685,929 to $1,717,229 and infrastructure and development was reduced from $1,462,123 to $1,433,082.03. - Council heard that the assistant city administrator is a reclassification of a long-vacant second deputy director post and that the clerkoffice position (media specialist/special projects) still lacked finalized HR job descriptions.

Council and public remarks Administration: "These are not items that were presented during the budget work session. There are a couple of modifications that happened post that. The first is a change in authorized position schedule, moving from a second deputy director of infrastructure development to an assistant city administrator," said a city staff member during discussion, explaining the administrative rationale for the reclassification.

Opponents: Several council members and multiple members of the public urged against adding a funded media specialist now. Public commenters said interns and the city communications team could perform outreach tasks and that the city is already facing tight budgetary conditions. One public speaker said, "Part time counsel does not need a full time PR person," during the public comment period.

Outcome and vote record The amended Ordinance 2935 (second reading) passed after an amendment vote. The council recorded the final outcome as approved. The roll-call sequence recorded at the meeting identified recorded votes including at least one "no" vote and one recusal during the amendment; the chair voted in the affirmative. (Meeting transcript recorded: "It's 2 ayes, 1 no, 1 recusal," and later the chair recorded the ordinance as approved.)

What happens next Ordinance 2935 was approved as amended on second reading. The assistant city administrator position will proceed subject to normal HR posting and classification procedures. The council and administration said the clerkoffice and comms team remain available for communications work and that any final job descriptions or hires will follow standard HR vetting.

Context and outstanding questions Council members asked for clearer job descriptions and confirmation of funding sources for any new positions before posting. Several members requested follow-up reporting on how the new assistant city administrator role will interact with existing communications staff and on any future staffing requests.

Ending: The council moved on to consider other ordinances and a separate water and sewer rate ordinance later in the meeting.