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Garner presents FY27 working budget; staff flags $11M potential gap and new fire apparatus costs
Summary
Budget Director Sarah Warren presented a FY27 working budget with $90.6M in revenues, highlighted obligations and increases (retirement, insurance, benefits), and outlined potential capital and recurring needs that could create up to an $11M funding gap if all priorities are funded.
Budget Director Sarah Warren briefed the council on the FY27 working budget during the March 31 work session, identifying current revenue estimates and several cost pressures that will shape the manager's recommended budget.
Warren said the town's current working revenue number is $90,600,000 and outlined near-term obligations, including employer retirement contribution increases and locked-in health-benefit costs. She flagged a set of recurring and one-time items the town is weighing: merit adjustments up to 4% ($938,000), operating impacts from the Yergen Homestead project, park opening costs, and fire-equipment replacement.
On fire apparatus specifically, Warren said the town is planning to purchase a pumper and a heavy-rescue truck at an approximate combined cost of $3,400,000 and will use debt financing for the purchase; debt service is not expected until FY28 and is projected at about $441,000 annually. The county's contribution toward apparatus replacement was presented as an annual share and a one-time payment to help retire prior debt; staff will provide exact numbers in forthcoming materials.
Warren and manager-level staff told council there is a range of outstanding items to finalize, including the pay-classification study and final county property-tax updates. Staff estimated that if obligations, expectations and service enhancements were all funded, the town could face an $11,000,000 gap. Councilmembers requested a clearer separation of recurring versus one-time costs, a department-level breakdown of requested FTEs and a five-year projection for fire-related costs; staff committed to follow-up presentations and to providing updated slides electronically prior to the manager's recommended budget in early May.
Warren said the budget portal remains open for public input and staff will continue to solicit and incorporate community feedback ahead of scheduled budget hearings in May and June.
