Roswell council adopts FY2025 year-end budget amendment, preserves funds for 2026 merit increases

The Roswell City Council on Dec. 8 adopted a resolution approving the FY2025 year‑end budget amendment, a measure city finance staff said aligns revenues and expenditures and carries forward funds to support a 2026 merit pay adjustment.

Director of Finance Adam Noatne and finance staff described the package as a routine year‑end alignment that recognizes stronger‑than‑expected revenues, certain insurance reimbursements and internal transfers. Staff said the amendment includes a compensation adjustment contingency to carry an average 4% merit increase into 2026 for most city employees (police were handled separately in the 2026 budget). Council emphasized the amendment is funded from 2025 savings and staff stated there is “no increase to the taxpayer.”

Council members asked for context on multi‑year salary trends; staff summarized five years of adjustments, noting larger cumulative increases for sworn police and smaller, steady increases across other departments. After brief council discussion and no public speakers, Council Member Christine Hall moved approval; the motion was seconded and the council approved the resolution by voice vote, 5–0.

Why it matters: The amendment allows the city to reflect actual 2025 results in official accounts and to hold funds to honor the planned 2026 merit adjustments without raising taxes. The city characterized the action as a standard legal requirement under state law to adopt year‑end amendments.

Next steps: Finance staff will finalize bookkeeping and present follow‑up materials as needed during the 2026 budget process.