Sunset Beach council adopts 2026–27 budget after year-end amendment

The Town of Sunset Beach council approved a year-end amendment to the 2025–26 budget and adopted the fiscal year 2026–27 budget ordinance after a public hearing on June 1.

Alicia, the town’s finance director, told the council the town freezes spending in May and that most current expenses are recurring monthly invoices. She identified two exceptions to normal recurring items this year: a debt-service interest payment and a carpet change order for town hall, and she recommended the council approve the attached year-end amendment. "We will not close the year until August, so all June invoices will be an expense and payable in the current fiscal year," Alicia said.

Council members also heard from staff on technical adjustments carried forward from the previous meeting. The chief said some step entries for police and firefighter classifications should be recorded as base pay changes rather than step movements and that approved educational-pay adjustments were incorporated; staff said those corrections did not change the budget’s bottom line.

Following the staff presentations, a councilmember moved to approve the 2025–26 year-end budget amendment as presented by the finance director; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. After a public hearing that included comments on unrelated local infrastructure and personnel matters, the council moved, seconded and adopted the fiscal year 2026–27 budget ordinance by voice vote.

The council did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the mayor announced the motions carried. The council did not amend the ordinance on the floor, and staff will close the fiscal year in August when June invoices post.