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Aiken City Council adopts FY2026–27 budget, keeps millage at 60 mills and approves utility fee changes
Summary
On June 8 the Aiken City Council adopted the FY2026–27 budget with no millage increase (60 mills), approved water/sewer rate adjustments (an 8% average utility increase), and amended the stormwater fee (to $11.10); council said most households will see modest monthly changes.
The Aiken City Council on June 8 unanimously adopted the city’s fiscal year 2026–27 budget, keeping the millage rate at 60 mills and approving related utility and stormwater fee changes following staff presentations and a rate study.
City staff presented the millage ordinance for second reading and explained that the council had not increased the millage rate and recommended holding it at 60 mills. Staff said there would be a reassessment later in the year but that a millage rate must be set to present the budget.
On utility rates, staff described a recommended 8% increase for the water and sewer enterprise fund, which covers system maintenance and planned capital work including a new water plant at the intersection of US 1 (Columbia Highway North) and Gun Range Road. Staff provided sample customer impacts: an average household that waters its lawn and has children could see about a $5.51 monthly increase; a smaller household using about 400 cubic feet per month would see roughly $3.65; certain fixed-income customers could see increases near $2.75.
Council also approved a revision to the stormwater management utility fee. Staff presented a rate-study-driven change to $11.10 (from $9.00 previously recommended in part of the phased approach); most property owners were told their monthly bill would increase from roughly $6.82 to $8.33 under the new recommendation.
Council members praised staff for multiple budget work sessions and repeated that the vote reflected efforts to respond to infrastructure needs without raising the millage rate. The budget ordinance, stormwater fee amendment and water/sewer rate ordinance passed on council votes during the meeting.
The council also discussed staffing additions in the building-inspections department, funding for digital permitting software and continued depreciation funding for capital assets. Staff singled out the finance director and department staff for their work on the budget.
The council’s unanimous adoption of the budget and associated rate actions concluded after public comment and council deliberations; staff said details and implementation schedules would be provided to customers and be reflected in forthcoming billing communications.
