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Decatur adopts 2025 millage rates and FY25–26 budgets; commission approves fee and personnel updates
Summary
The City Commission adopted combined millage rates (total 12.97 mills) by ordinance, approved the FY25–26 budgets (general fund $45.2M), adopted a consolidated fee schedule and amended the pay/classification plan. Council recorded roll calls for each ordinance and passed the budget resolution by voice vote.
The Decatur City Commission on June 16 voted to adopt the city’s 2025 millage rates and to approve the revised and proposed FY25–26 budgets, following a public hearing and staff presentations.
The commission held three ordinance votes to set tax rates that fund operations and capital. Ordinance O‑25‑05 establishes the general fund tax rate at 10.80 mills (roll call recorded Commissioner Meyer Franck Aye; Commissioner Berry Aye; Mister Walsh Aye; Mayor Pro Tem Powers Aye; Chair votes Aye). Ordinance O‑25‑06 set the bond fund tax rate at 1.82 mills (roll call recorded Commissioners Meyer Franck, Dusenberry, Waltz, Mayor Pro Tem Powers and Chair voting Aye). Ordinance O‑25‑07 fixed the Downtown Development Authority fund rate at 0.35 mills and passed on a unanimous roll call.
After outlining outreach and budget assumptions — including a conservative tax collection rate, expected appeals on an estimated 7.9% increase in the tax digest and a proposed general fund operating budget of roughly $45.2 million (an increase of about 4.95%, or about $2.1 million) — staff presented a resolution to adopt the set of fund budgets (general fund, capital improvement, enterprise funds, SPLOST and special funds such as ARPA). The commission adopted the budgets and associated resolutions by voice vote.
Key budget items and assumptions noted by staff included a proposed 2.5% merit‑based pay pool for full‑time employees, no additional full‑time positions (total FTEs remain at 258), some personnel requests for 14 new positions that were not funded, increasing insurance costs (health and property/casualty) and a planned use of fund balance of just over $1.5 million, leaving an estimated fund balance of about $11.1 million (approximately 25% of the general fund operating budget) consistent with city policy.
The commission also adopted an updated consolidated fee schedule (changes to film permit rush fee, downtown parking district list updates, and parks & recreation camp/facility fee adjustments) effective July 1, and approved Resolution R‑25‑YY to amend the pay and classification plan (replacing a public works project manager position with an equipment operator, creating athletics manager and civilian detective classifications and reclassifying one recreation coordinator to communications coordinator). The total number of full‑time positions remains at 258.
Votes at a glance
- Ordinance O‑25‑05 (General fund rate 10.80 mills): Adopted (roll call: Meyer Franck, Berry, Walsh, Mayor Pro Tem Powers, Chair each recorded Aye). - Ordinance O‑25‑06 (Bond fund rate 1.82 mills): Adopted (roll call: Meyer Franck, Dusenberry, Waltz, Mayor Pro Tem Powers, Chair each recorded Aye). - Ordinance O‑25‑07 (DDA fund rate 0.35 mills): Adopted (unanimous roll call). - Resolution to adopt budgets (R‑25‑XX): Adopted by voice vote. - Consolidated fee schedule: Adopted (effective July 1). - Resolution R‑25‑YY (Pay and classification amendments): Adopted by roll call/voice vote as recorded in meeting minutes.
Staff said more detailed budget documents, summaries of public input and work session materials are available on the city’s budget engagement web page and were distributed to commissioners during the work session process.
