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Sunset Beach reviews $12.48 million draft FY27 budget, flags roads and beach erosion work
Summary
Council heard a presentation of the Town of Sunset Beach’s proposed FY27 budget showing roughly $12.48 million in projected revenue and reviewed major departmental spending and restricted funds; members focused on roads, dredging and beach erosion funding and scheduled follow-ups for line‑by‑line decisions.
At a May 4 budget workshop, the Town of Sunset Beach received a high-level presentation of the fiscal year 2027 draft budget that projects total revenues of $12,476,470 and broadly matches department spending, staff said. The presentation walked councilors through revenue sources — property taxes (the single largest source), county fire district fees, sales and permit revenues — and identified several restricted revenue streams that may not be used for general spending.
The town administrator presenting the chart (Speaker 6) told the council: “Total amount of revenue projected is $12,476,470.” The administrator emphasized that several revenue lines are restricted: parking fees may be used only for the parking program, inspection fees only for the inspections department and fire fees only for fire services.
Why it matters: the draft budget sets priorities for roads, stormwater and dredging projects while the council also considers staffing and benefit changes to contain personnel costs. Councilors pressed staff for clearer line‑item spreadsheets and up‑to‑date contractor estimates so the body can make final decisions without last‑minute adjustments.
Support for infrastructure spending emerged quickly. Officials reviewed the Powell Bill (state road fund) balance and the “beach erosion” fund, and staff identified more than $300,000 available in Powell Bill/Pound fund balances that are not yet earmarked for specific roads. On the beach‑erosion account, staff explained a combination of prior-year balance and proposed additions would show roughly a $1,015,000 fund when several one-time project requests are included.
Council members asked for more precise comparisons between resurfacing and full mill‑and‑pave bids for Clubhouse Road, the largest road candidate in this budget cycle, and requested that staff return with split quotes for the road’s segments so the council can decide whether to repurpose Powell Bill dollars or use fund balance for part of the work.
Staff and council also reviewed capital requests for public safety and operations: portable radios for the fire department (cost estimate under $30,000), security cameras and routine vehicle and equipment maintenance. The fire department representative noted that some large truck tires and turnout gear are costly and warned against overly deep cuts to equipment lines.
The council did not vote on the budget at the workshop. Members directed staff to return with corrected spreadsheets and proposed, prioritized projects and scheduled follow-up budget sessions to continue deliberations.
