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Council directs staff to allocate $1.38 million in FY26 recommendations; vote splits 3-2
Summary
The council gave staff direction, by a 3-2 vote, to prepare the FY26 budget ordinance allocating $1,380,000 toward specific enhancements including parks and recreation, fleet, resurfacing and traffic calming while keeping the proposed 52-cent tax rate.
Garner officials presented the town’s recommended FY26 budget and council voted 3–2 to direct staff to prepare the budget ordinance reflecting $1,380,000 in additional allocations to items recommended by staff.
Budget Director Sarah Warren summarized the recommended budget as approximately $87.4 million and described it as a priority-based package with a proposed property-tax rate of 52 cents, unchanged from FY25. Warren said the tax-rate split under the recommendation would allocate 43.5 cents to town operations and 8.5 cents to debt service. She identified two top council priorities included in the recommendation: operations funding for Yergin Park (planned to open fall 2026) and the Garner Fire Rescue merger. The recommended budget was presented as an increase of about $9.9 million over the FY25 amended budget.
Staff asked for council direction on how to handle $1.38 million of newly identified funding and on whether to adopt several parks fee changes. The $1.38 million would be used for a package of items described in staff materials and the handout on the dais; staff listed the items as a roll cart for the fleet division, program enhancements and an added FTE for parks and recreation (including inclusive-recreation programming), recreation-management software, a strategy and data analyst, an additional $544,000 toward street resurfacing, and an additional $100,000 for traffic calming (bringing traffic-calming total to $200,000). Staff also noted an increase of positions included across the FY26 requests (roughly 30 FTEs referenced in internal materials), some of which will be phased in across the year.
During discussion councilmembers urged caution about long-term operational cost growth related to adding positions and discussed whether the town should set aside funds now for future capital needs such as stormwater and fire facilities. Councilmember Dellinger and Councilmember Singleton voted against the motion; Councilmember Matthews (motion maker), Councilmember Behringer and Councilmember Vance voted in favor. The chair called for a roll call; the motion passed 3–2.
Town Manager Jody Miller and Warren said staff will return the draft budget ordinance for adoption at the council’s June 17 meeting. Council did not adopt the full budget ordinance at the meeting; the vote provided direction to staff to prepare the FY26 ordinance with the $1.38 million package included.
