Canton council approves FY2025 year-end budget amendment

The Canton Mayor and Council voted to approve a fiscal year 2025 year-end budget amendment during their March 19 meeting.

Ryan Luckett, who presented the city's month-end financial report, told the council the amendment addresses three main items that emerged during the year-end audit: unanticipated repairs and maintenance, accounting adjustments for leased vehicles and an increase in the city’s payment for fire services to Cherokee County. “Our fire services payment to the county in FY 2025 was approximately 129,000 higher than what we had budgeted,” Luckett said.

The amendment recognizes additional revenue collected during the year and reallocates funds to cover those expenses. Luckett said general fund revenues were roughly $18.1 million year to date and that many departments were near the expected 33% expenditure mark for the fiscal year. Council member (speaker 6) moved to approve the year-end amendment; the motion was seconded and the council voted to approve the amendment, with the meeting record noting that “all members voted for the motion.”

The amendment incorporates higher-than-expected maintenance costs (including repairs to a public-safety roof and water-related work at City Hall), routine lease accounting adjustments for the city’s enterprise vehicle leases, and the increased fire services payment to the county. Council members asked clarifying questions about those categories during the presentation and were told staff would continue to monitor fund balances as the new fiscal year progresses.

The council did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes provided at the meeting; staff indicated the amendment was adopted that evening and will be reflected in final year-end financial statements.

The council will continue regular budget oversight as staff complete year-end closing and post the final audited numbers.