Chamblee staff proposes flat $35.9M general fund, recommends $70 sanitation fee increase to shore up deficit

City staff on Tuesday presented a proposed 2026 budget that would keep Chamblee’s general fund flat at $35,900,000 and maintain the city’s projected millage rate at 6.25, while seeking a $70-per-year increase in residential sanitation fees beginning in 2026 for three years to reduce the sanitation fund’s deficit, the city’s budget and strategy manager said at a public hearing.

“Our approach to this budget was focusing on sustaining the city’s growth over the last 5 years,” said Daria Kryskis, the city’s budget and strategy manager. “The result of that is a flat general fund budget at $35,900,000.” Kryskis told councilors the draft budget would be formally adopted in June 2026 if approved.

Why it matters: the proposal aims to preserve city services while absorbing higher benefit and facility costs and funding several large capital projects. Kryskis said the budget reflects a mix of cost-management and targeted investment, and includes funding for public safety, public works and administrative services as the largest cost centers.

Kryskis said the city faced a potential 31% increase in health insurance costs if it had remained with its prior carrier, Cigna, and that a change to UHC earlier this year reduced that budget impact to about a 7% increase for 2026. The proposed budget also includes debt service and continued investments tied to recently completed or soon-to-open facilities, including a new public works building and the Fishbowl Park project.

Capital projects and special funds: the presentation outlined a $30 million bond issued this year that increases special-revenue totals and supports park and infrastructure work. Kryskis listed a series of planned capital items funded by SPLOST and other sources, including matching funds for multiple rail-trail segments, major projects on Broad Street and the Run/Dunwoody road diet, design and engineering for South Lawn Green Space downtown, and continued work on the Dresden Trail as part of the newly created Dresden special service district. She said the Dresden SSD will fund phase 2 design and a labor position to help maintain Dresden Park and Arrow Creek Park, plus crosswalk and safety improvements along Dresden and Plaster Roads.

Stormwater and sanitation: the enterprise funds portion of the budget includes a major stormwater inventory and assessment (Kryskis said the scope had been approved previously) and $1.5 million for stormwater repair projects. On sanitation, Kryskis said the fund runs a deficit and is subsidized by the general fund; to reduce that pressure staff is proposing a $70-per-year increase in 2026 that would continue for three years, and commercial sanitation charges would also increase.

Public comment and next steps: during public comment, Huntley Hills resident Sarah Alice urged the council to ensure park designs address flooding without displacing long-time neighbors and expressed concern about tree and underbrush removal in plans for Huntley Hills Park. The mayor clarified that park-specific issues will be discussed at a separate town hall and that the current meeting was a budget hearing. A council member questioned a slide that listed Fishbowl construction as beginning in 2025; Kryskis said the project is out for bid and cannot be constructed in 2025 and that she would correct the slide.

The council held no formal votes on budget adoption at the hearing. Kryskis said this hearing was the second of three public budget hearings; the third is scheduled for Thursday at noon. Staff indicated they will finalize presentation materials and confirm fee-impact details before final adoption.