Summerville council approves first reading of FY2026–27 operating budget amid sidewalk and pay-equity concerns

The Summerville Town Council voted May 14 to approve first reading of the FY2026–27 operating budget after debate over priorities for capital funding and employee compensation.

Clerk (speaker 2) introduced the budget ordinance for first reading. Councilwoman (speaker 18) said she could not support first reading because the proposal removed a dedicated sidewalk capital fund that had been approximately $500,000–$600,000 in prior years and because she was concerned about uneven salary increases across departments. "First year, I was on council. Town approved approximately 500,000... The second year was 600,000. And now we're removing that," she said, and asked staff to look for ways to restore sidewalk capital funding while keeping overall fiscal balance.

Council members commended staff for balancing an initially much larger gap in the budget without increasing taxes. One council member (speaker 16) praised departments for reducing costs and noted the budget funds town operations "without any tax increases." Other council members agreed the staff had made difficult tradeoffs and suggested revisiting compensation in January if revenues outperform projections.

Council discussion also covered retiree health insurance and a request to create a more equitable compensation bucket so that departments not designated as public safety also share in pay improvements. The Chair called the question after discussion and the motion for first reading passed; the clerk recorded one opposing vote for the roll.

What happens next: The budget will return for a second reading and adoption after any required revisions and public-notice steps. Councilmembers asked staff to explore restoring sidewalk funding and to provide follow-up information on compensation structures.