Payson council work study reviews FY26 draft budget, hears sharp debate over pool funding and staffing

Payson staff presented a draft fiscal 2025–26 budget at a May 6 work-study session that projects general-fund revenues roughly in line with planned expenditures and leaves limited uncommitted fund balance for new capital projects. Councilors spent much of the meeting debating priorities — including whether to fund a municipal pool, how to address rising personnel costs, and what capital projects to advance — and asked staff for additional analysis before finalizing the town’s expenditure limitation later in May.

Town finance staff told council the general fund projections show about $35.9 million in revenues against about $35.5 million in expenditures in the draft; the town expects an unrestricted general-fund balance of roughly $16 million this year, of which a $10 million policy reserve leaves about $5.9 million available for one-time uses. Staff said those available funds, combined with other sources such as HEERF and water funds, constrain what the council can commit to new capital projects without reducing reserves or increasing tax or fee revenue.

Council members…