Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Summit council introduces 2026 municipal budget, estimates average municipal tax rise of about $162
Summary
City Administrator Tammy Baldwin presented the 2026 municipal and capital budgets, citing $350,000 in lost investment income, an $81,940 payment tied to a hospital bed tax, rising health insurance costs and a proposed municipal tax rate increase that raises the average municipal portion on a $445,000 home by about $162; council introduced the budget and set a May 5 public hearing.
City Administrator Tammy Baldwin outlined the city’s proposed 2026 budget on April 7, telling the Summit City Council the municipal general fund would rise from about $59.77 million in 2025 to about $63.43 million in 2026 and that the combined operating and capital total is roughly $68.77 million.
Baldwin said the city absorbed a $350,000 drop in investment and interest revenue this year and paid Union County $81,940 related to a hospital bed tax dispute with Atlantic Health Systems, both of which reduced available municipal revenue. She flagged operating-cost increases including roughly $245,000 in additional salaries and about $808,000 in higher health‑insurance premiums.
The administrator described a roughly 6.1% increase in the general fund and a 1.6% increase in the capital budget; utilities that self‑fund—store and parking—are accounted for separately. Baldwin said net assessed value grew by about $30 million, producing an estimated $1.42 million in additional tax revenue of which roughly $298,000 would go to the municipal levy. She presented an estimated municipal tax rate rising to 0.97 from 0.943 and said that translates to an approximately $162 increase in the municipal portion of the typical Summit home’s tax bill (based on an average assessed value she used of $445,000). Baldwin also presented an estimated total average tax bill increase of about $933, driven largely by school and county levies outside municipal control.
Baldwin reviewed department capital requests, noting a $350,000 street sweeper, police vehicle replacements, and a Tier Garage rehabilitation project among the larger asks. She described the city’s year-end fund balance (about $10.62 million), said the 2026 budget will use an additional share of fund balance while preserving roughly a 20% reserve, and outlined debt and borrowing capacity that keeps the municipality well below statutory debt limits.
She listed several cost‑saving ideas under study—exploring in‑house recycling, police off‑duty platforms, moving to a computer‑based telephone system (a potential six‑figure savings), and a review of fee ordinances to better align charges with peer communities. Baldwin said grant timing improved the city’s short‑term position this year, with about $1.4 million in grant receipts arriving prior to budget introduction.
Council moved to introduce the 2026 municipal and utility budgets under Resolution 12477 and set a public hearing for May 5. The council adopted the introduction by roll call vote, and members were directed to review the full budget posted online ahead of the hearing.
The council also introduced the 2026 budget for Summit Downtown Inc. (the Special Improvement District) under Resolution 12467 with a May 25 hearing date.
Next steps: the council will hold the public hearing May 5, after which it may amend and adopt the budget following required statutory notice and the 28‑day adoption period.
