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Brunswick city manager presents $24.6 million proposed budget for fiscal 2027
Summary
City Manager Regina McDuffie presented a proposed FY2027 general fund of $24,567,838, citing a 2.3% increase driven by taxes, higher personnel and insurance costs, and several capital and drainage projects; commissioners asked about a $12,000 compensation study and plans for economic development work.
Regina McDuffie, Brunswick’s city manager, outlined the city’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on June 30, describing a $24,567,838 general fund package she said represents a 2.3% increase over the prior year.
“The general fund budget is proposed at $24,567,838, a 2.3 increase over last year,” McDuffie said, and she told commissioners that revenues are “consisting of 89% taxes,” with proposed property tax revenue of $6.4 million and sales tax revenue of $10.6 million.
McDuffie listed major expense drivers: personnel costs remain the largest category (she said personnel costs total about $17,435,170 with $13.7 million for salaries), utilities estimated at $1.3 million, insurance “over $600,000,” and $169,000 allocated for machinery and equipment. She said the budget supports 236 budgeted positions and that the city is not proposing a cost-of-living adjustment for FY27 while a compensation study is underway.
She identified several capital and program items in the proposal: continued payments for SPLOST items including IT and vehicle leases; $1.5 million for drainage projects and $6.5 million for road improvements (together cited as approximately $9.05 million); funding for transit, a land bank, a co-responder for police, and an open-records-supporting software purchase.
During questions, commissioners pressed McDuffie on the compensation study’s cost and timing. McDuffie said the salary-study expense was about $12,000 and that the study is included in the current fiscal-year budget. On economic development, commissioners asked when the last comprehensive economic study was done and whether the proposal funds a future study; McDuffie said the budget includes an appropriation that could fund an economic development study to guide future hires and investments.
The presentation closed with McDuffie noting the budget schedule and the commission’s planned approval timeline; she said the proposed budget will return for adoption on June 17 (as presented in the budget schedule handed out to the commission).
