Norton City Council holds public hearing on $16.5 million school budget; city proposes $14.5 million general fund and a small water rate increase

The Norton City Council on May 19 opened a public hearing on the Norton City Schools proposed FY2026–27 budget and received a presentation on the city’s proposed FY2026–27 budget, with council agreeing to consider formal adoption at its June 2 meeting.

Dr. Scott Addison, director of curriculum and instruction for Norton City Schools, thanked the community and city officials for their support, saying, “we recognize the sacrifice of the citizens on behalf of our school system and we cannot express our gratitude enough for what council, city administration, and the citizens of the city do for the school system.” The school board’s proposed total budget is $16,494,456.76, which the city manager summarized as including an Operational Fund of $14,874,212.85 (with $3,357,607 locally appropriated), a Textbook Fund of $545,583.25 (with $33,597 locally appropriated), an Early Retirement Plan Fund of $44,522, a Food Services Fund of $984,188.66, and a Capital Project Fund of $45,950.

Vice Mayor Mark Caruso opened the public hearing and, after receiving no public comments, closed it. City Manager Jeffery A. Shupe said the three-meeting process will conclude with council consideration and potential adoption of the school budget at the June 2 council meeting.

Shupe and Director of Finance Treavor Calhoun also presented the proposed City of Norton FY2026–27 budget. Key figures in the draft city budget include a General Operating Fund of $14,509,262 (an increase of $577,434, or 4.14 percent, over the prior year), an Enterprise Fund of $3,872,935 (up $84,192, or 2.22 percent), and a Social Services Operating Fund of $2,839,300 (up $803,444, or 39.46 percent). Shupe attributed the Social Services increase primarily to anticipated state budget changes and rising costs for Children's Services Act (CSA) services for children, which he said “has grown and the cost for those services has almost quadrupled in the last 10–12 years.”

To help keep the Enterprise Fund self-sufficient, city administration recommended a $0.50 per 1,000-gallon increase in the base water rate for the FY2027 budget year. Shupe presented comparative billing analyses by the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission showing the proposed increase would raise a 2,000-gallon minimum inside residential bill by about $2.75 (3.5 percent) and a 4,200-gallon average bill by about $5.77 (4.3 percent). Council discussion focused on how long it may take to reach a breakeven point that would eliminate the need for future base-rate increases and on anticipated borrowing for infrastructure replacement.

Council members asked staff to advertise a public hearing on the proposed City of Norton FY2026–27 budget to be held at the June 2 council meeting. Shupe said that once the budget is advertised council may reduce it but increases would require following a separate process.

The council meeting packet included a presentation of the proposed school budget and the city budget; Dr. Addison and city staff were available to answer council questions before formal action is scheduled on June 2.