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Morrisville council hears public on FY2027 budget, agrees to close hearing and cancel May 28 work session
Summary
Council heard public comment on the recommended FY2027 budget (about $60.4 million) and debated preserving services versus deferring recurring costs; after discussion the council unanimously closed the public hearing and formally canceled the May 28 work session to move toward adoption.
Town Manager Brandon Zutomar presented the recommended FY2027 budget on May 26, telling the council the proposal totals roughly $60,400,000 — a 3.6% decrease from the current year — and does not include a proposed tax‑rate increase, with the rate remaining at 35¢ per $100 valuation. He said two technical changes have been made since the May 12 presentation: an approximately $20,000 allocation from the fund balance for MAFC repairs and adjustments to police false‑alarm costs. (Town Manager Brandon Zutomar)
The public hearing drew residents who largely praised the no‑tax‑increase proposal and asked the council to honor that decision. "Don't let's make this into a habit of taking a survey ... and yet at the end of the session, we see that, oh, we don't care," said resident Suresh Narayan, urging consistency between outreach and final action. Bob Butler and Lauren Butler both thanked the council for proposing a budget without a property‑tax increase, highlighting concerns for seniors. (Suresh Narayan; Bob Butler; Lauren Butler)
Councilmembers used the hearing to weigh tradeoffs between protecting services and containing recurring costs. Several members said failing to fund certain positions, fleet maintenance and median/litter upkeep now could increase long‑term costs and harm service levels. "I cannot support a path that quietly erodes those gains," said Mayor Patemarabadi, urging investment in staff and maintenance to avoid larger costs later. Councilmember Patel and others pressed for a future "deep dive" on recurring revenue to address structural budget pressures. (Mayor Patemarabadi; Councilmember Patel)
After discussion the council reached consensus to cancel a scheduled May 28 work session and then voted unanimously to close the public hearing so the budget could proceed toward adoption. The council instructed staff to return any requested clarifying information (for example, a follow‑up on nonprofit facility rental use and proposed user‑fee amendments) at a later meeting. The motion to close the public hearing passed 7‑0.
What happens next: staff will place the budget on the agenda for adoption with the information the council requested, and the council has committed to a longer review of recurring revenue and costs in the months ahead.
