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Town Manager presents FY2027 recommended budget, proposes no tax-rate increase and a 5% water/sewer rate change
Summary
Town Manager Rob presented a FY2027 recommended budget that holds the current 41-cent tax rate, emphasizes public safety, transportation and parks, proposes $2.1 million in one-year capital projects and recommends a 5% water and sewer rate increase to cover rising purchase and treatment costs. A public hearing is scheduled for June 8.
Town Manager Rob presented the Town of Harrisburg's recommended budget for fiscal 2027 during the council's May meeting, proposing to maintain the existing 41-cent property tax rate while advancing investments in public safety, transportation and parks.
Rob said the recommended budget reflects a process that started in November and incorporated more than two dozen hours of public budget workshops. "This is intended to reflect all of the direction and the input we've gotten throughout the process," he said, describing the town's use of fund accounting (general fund, enterprise funds such as water and sewer, and restricted funds for grant or capital reserves).
The proposal keeps service levels steady while prioritizing capital and operational needs. Highlights cited by Rob included advancing design work on Highway 49 and the Caldwell Road extension through federal grant funds, completion of the Cambridge Drive construction project, recent openings of the YMCA in Harrisburg Park and new artificial turf fields, and continued investments in public safety equipment and training. The manager said the town plans about $2.1 million in one-year capital projects from operating funds and a 10-year capital plan that projects roughly $70 million in capital expenditures fully funded on the town's financial model.
Rob also recommended a 5% increase in water and sewer rates, saying those adjustments align with upstream cost increases for purchased water and wastewater treatment. "Water purchases from the City of Concord are expected to go up 4 to 5 percent; sewer treatment increases of about 5.1 percent have already been passed along to us," Rob said. He added that the recommended increase helps offset those unavoidable costs while preserving enterprise fund health.
On fiscal discipline, Rob told the council the budget would be presented in advance of a public hearing and adoption scheduled for the June meeting: "The recommended budget will be made available after tonight's meeting. We anticipate having adoption at the June 8th meeting where we'll have a public hearing followed by a recommended vote."
Council members pressed staff on specific capital items in the draft budget, including accounting for a federal grant for the Roberta/49 mitigation design and detailed cost and funding clarifications for a proposed Main Street town-center park. Finance Director Brian Lee and staff said the grant is booked as a single project out-year and that detailed design expenditures on Town Center will be brought forward to the council for review before further commitments.
What happens next: the manager's recommended budget will be posted for public review and a formal public hearing is scheduled for June 8. The council may adopt a final budget after the public hearing and any amendments.
Provenance: Staff presentation and discussion (manager's recommended budget): SEG 408—SEG 1278.
Speakers (selected): Rob (Town Manager), Brian Lee (Finance Director).
