St. Albans council adopts $16.3 million FY2027 budget, approves parks truck and invoices

The St. Albans City Council voted to adopt the fiscal-year 2027 general fund budget of $16,327,410 and a coal severance fund budget of $88,000 after approving a council amendment reallocating $15,000 to arts and humanities salaries.

Councilman Roe moved to approve the budget; Councilman Rogers proposed the amendment to move $15,000 from the emergency fund into the arts and humanities salaries line. Rogers said the amount would be repaid by rental revenues “that the Alban creates throughout the year,” which the transcript estimates at roughly $30,000–$40,000 annually. The amendment received a second and passed on a voice vote; the council then approved the budget as amended.

The council also approved payment of current invoices totaling $19,602.51 after a motion from Councilman Roe and approved the purchase of a Ford F-250 diesel truck for the parks department from Thornhill Ford for $59,091. The truck will be financed via a lease purchase with Country Roads Leasing; the council also approved a separate resolution authorizing a lease purchase for the parts department. All three motions were adopted on voice votes, with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript.

Mayor James and council members framed the budget decisions as part of maintaining city services and supporting community events and parks. Council members discussed the source of the $15,000 amendment — rental revenue tied to a property referred to in the record as the “Alban” — and noted the amendment does not add net new money to the budget but reallocates existing line items.

Next steps: the council did not record roll-call vote counts in the meeting transcript; implementation details for the truck purchase and lease paperwork will proceed through city procurement and the lease provider. The budget, as adopted, will guide FY2027 expenditures and the council can revisit line items if future adjustments are proposed.