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Garner presents $97.9 million FY27 recommended budget, proposes 2.5-cent property tax increase
Summary
Town Manager Jodie Miller and Budget Director Sarah Warren presented a $97.9 million FY27 recommended budget that would use one-time fund balance and a proposed 2.5-cent property tax rate increase, which the presenters said would add roughly $100 to the annual bill for a home assessed at $400,000; council set a May 15 work session and a May 19 public hearing for further deliberation.
Town Manager Jodie Miller and Budget Director Sarah Warren presented the town of Garner's recommended fiscal year 2027 operating budget at the Town Council meeting on May 5, proposing a $97.9 million spending plan and a 2.5-cent property tax-rate increase.
"Ultimately, this is your budget," Miller said in introducing the video and the recommended plan. Sarah Warren said the proposal uses onetime fund balance revenues alongside the proposed tax-rate increase and that the increase would add about $100 to the annual tax bill for a homeowner with a $400,000 property.
The recommended budget directs money to capital projects supported by the 2021 bond program including Jones Sausage Road improvements, the South Garner Greenway extension, Meadowbrook Park phase one and downtown infrastructure. It also budgets for operating impacts of Jurgen Park, which the presenters said will open this fall, and for a new splash pad at White Deer Park.
Warren outlined several personnel additions included in the recommended plan: a crime analyst to support a proposed real-time information crime center in the police department, a data position for fire rescue, a fire inspector, a stormwater utility supervisor to lead utility implementation, a grants administrator, an executive assistant and a paralegal, and two public works positions to help open Jurgen Park.
The recommendation emphasizes maintaining the town's classification and compensation program. The presentation references a proposed $956,000 allocation to fund a plan recommended by consultants and continuation of a merit-pay system. The budget also accounts for a 5.2% increase in the town's health insurance costs.
Presenters said Garner's population is estimated at 46,218 as of April 1, a roughly 8% increase from the previous year, and said that growth underlies the need for investments in services and infrastructure. They also flagged pressures on sales tax and state-level policy changes that could affect property-tax authority.
Miller noted next steps in the process: a council budget work session on Friday, May 15, and a second public hearing on Tuesday, May 19, with the town's budget portal (garnernc.gov/fy27budget) available for resident comments.
Public comment at the meeting included a request from a community housing advocate who urged collaboration on housing insecurity and invited council to a May 20 "Housing Olympiad"; Council members said they will review the recommended budget materials before the May 15 work session. No vote on the budget was taken at the May 5 meeting.
The council scheduled detailed review and deliberation over coming weeks and encouraged residents to provide feedback through the online portal.
