Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Annual Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board advances budget ordinance on first reading after debate over senior services and tourism funding
Summary
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a public hearing and advanced Ordinance 1685 (annual budget and tax rate) on its first of three readings, after discussing potential city takeover of senior center operations and rejecting an amendment to reallocate Chamber tourism funds to the Sports Council.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen opened a public hearing June 1 on Ordinance 1685, the city’s proposed annual budget and tax rate for fiscal year 2026–27, and advanced the ordinance on its first of three readings.
The budget hearing included discussion of several operational items. Alderman Glick urged the city to consider taking over Coffee County senior center operations under Parks and Recreation to stabilize programming and better maintain the city-owned facility; he recommended increasing operating hours and using existing city custodial staff. JP, a city staff member who met with senior-center staff, said the center currently operates about "three and a half days a week" and noted Meals on Wheels uses the kitchen while the center "do[es] no cooking" on site. Board members requested staff follow up and prepare details for an upcoming study session.
Members also discussed airport support and the city’s use of reserves. A board member summarized a plan to reduce the city’s maintenance-of-effort for the municipal airport (citing an approximate current subsidy of $160,000) over a 24–28 month horizon as airport revenues stabilize.
During debate on tourism funding, a motion was made to reduce the Chamber of Commerce’s hotel/motel allocation ($47,045) by half and give the remainder to the Sports Council to support sports tourism. Several members opposed redirecting funds from the Chamber, saying the Chamber performs economic-development and business-support functions that help sustain sales-tax revenue. Another member raised past accounting concerns with the Sports Council and questioned whether its activities would justify the reallocation. The amendment failed, 5–1.
After the discussions and confirmation that staff will prepare requested budget clarifications for the second reading, the board voted to carry the ordinance’s first reading; the vote on first reading carried 6–0.
Next steps: staff will prepare additional detail and background for study sessions and the second reading; the ordinance will return for two subsequent readings before final adoption.
