Winchester council adopts FY2026 appropriation ordinance after public hearing

The Winchester City Council on May 13 approved an ordinance to appropriate funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, following a public hearing and a brief discussion of fund-balance targets and revenue assumptions.

City Manager said the budget process began in November and included nearly a dozen public meetings and council direction from a January retreat. “We really kicked things off, in January,” the City Manager said while presenting the proposed general fund and all-funds summaries. The presentation noted modest revenue shifts, limited use of fund balance for certain items and an overall general-fund change aligned with current inflation.

The ordinance covers the city budget and the school budget; the presenter said the combined “all funds” increase was under 1.1 percent with schools showing a modest net decline driven by other revenue sources. Councilors asked about the city’s unassigned fund balance and were told the projection at the end of the year is approximately 26.8 percent, above the 25 percent target cited in the budget documents.

The council opened a public hearing on the ordinance; one speaker briefly commented on a prior interruption during public comment and expressed concern about an unrelated development project. After the hearing, councilors moved to adopt the ordinance. The motion was made and seconded on the floor and, following a roll call, the mayor announced the motion carried.

Why it matters: the ordinance sets the city’s spending priorities and tax-supported allocations for FY2026, and the council’s discussion confirmed the city intends to remain above its stated fund-balance target while using modest fund-balance adjustments to balance the budget.

The ordinance passed on second reading and will be reflected in the city’s FY2026 appropriations once finalized and published in the official minutes.