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Mount Airy reviews FY27 budget; staff cite revenue updates and police‑station funding set aside
Summary
At an April 20 budget workshop the Mount Airy Town Council reviewed proposed FY27 operating and capital budgets, an updated $685,653 Frederick County shared‑tax figure, an $85,000 tourism grant application, and set aside funds tied to police‑station capital; staff said modifications will return to a future council meeting for formal votes and public hearings.
The Mount Airy Town Council met on Monday, April 20, for an FY27 budget workshop that walked through general fund revenues, departmental operating lines and capital requests ahead of the council's next public hearing and vote. Staff presented updated revenue numbers, grant applications and a number of capital priorities, and flagged a transfer to the police‑station capital fund that staff said is tied to an earlier tax adjustment.
Katie, who led the line‑by‑line walkthrough of revenues, told the council that the Frederick County shared‑taxes figure arrived as $685,653; she said that change raises the town's general‑fund operating revenue projection and increases the town's revenue estimate by $7,716 from the preliminary file. "So I'm going to update that," Katie said when reporting the county figure.
Why it matters: the workshop surfaced where staff plan to apply revenues and grants in FY27 and highlighted several choices the council will need to make before adopting the budget. In particular, presenters reported grant activity (an $85,000 tourism grant application tied to the town's 250th‑anniversary programming, and a higher general grants line) and flagged capital transfers that will appear on the next meeting agenda for formal action.
Most important facts
- Revenues: Katie said the Frederick County shared‑taxes figure is $685,653, updating the revenue total for the general fund; staff also recorded an increase in the grants line from $25,000 to $33,000 and reported an $85,000 tourism grant application for events tied to the town's 250th anniversary.
- Police‑station funding: presenters reiterated police‑station construction estimates for the building alone of roughly $4 million to $5 million and noted a planned transfer to the police‑station capital project fund that staff said reflects prior tax rate adjustments. The presenter earlier in the meeting described the proposal as "a budget that works within the taxes that are collected," while later material references a 3% tax increase that feeds a transfer to the police station capital fund; staff said final budget modifications and the tax rate will be presented at a subsequent council meeting for formal action and public hearings.
- Cost drivers: Council members repeatedly pressed staff on personnel costs (COLA and step increases), and staff said step increases are typically 3% and COLA varies by year; council asked for the total dollar and percentage increases for staff costs and was told salary details will be discussed in the appropriate personnel session and reflected in final documents where required.
What council debated
Council members questioned energy and utility increases, cleaning contract escalations and the town's approach to equipment replacements and capital purchases. Staff confirmed a phased approach for technology and cameras, and for larger capital items said some purchases will be pursued with outside grant support but the town will fund replacements if grants fall short.
Next steps
Staff said they will incorporate the updates discussed tonight, produce revised budget pages and return those modifications to the council at the next regular meeting, when the council will set the tax rate, hold required public hearings and vote on the budget. Several items discussed tonight (police station transfers, grant matches and capital equipment purchases) were flagged for follow-up items on the next agenda.
