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Cochran council begins FY 2025–26 budget review, proposes fee increases and timeline
Summary
City Manager Richard Newbern presented the proposed FY 2025–26 budget and review timeline; the proposal outlined a roughly 3.44% increase to the general fund (about $4.865 million), fund-level totals, and proposed fee changes including increases to water/sewer, solid waste, gas base charges, fire and stormwater fees. Council members questioned fee allocation and proposed exemptions and billing changes.
At a special called meeting on April 28, 2025, Cochran City Manager Richard Newbern presented the proposed FY 2025–26 budget and a timeline for review and adoption.
Newbern outlined the schedule: this meeting served as the first work session on the general fund; the council will have further opportunities to review the budget at the May 13 meeting and a May 20 work session; after May 20 the draft budget will be advertised; a public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. June 3, and a second public hearing and adoption are scheduled for June 10.
On high-level dollars and allocations Newbern presented an approximate 3.44% increase to the general fund, which the record presents as roughly $4.865 million (the minutes contain two close figures: $4,865,874 and $4,865,374). He reported the water and sewer fund budgeted at about $2.415 million, the gas fund around $934,500 (based on projections from the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia), and the solid waste fund above $1 million. Newbern said approximately $2.35 million of the general fund (about half) is spent on public safety and that 65.2% of the general fund budget is for personnel.
Newbern proposed several fee changes: a 2.5% increase in water and sewer fees, a 5% increase in solid waste and garbage fees, a $1 increase in natural gas base charges, a fire fee increase from $7 to $10.50 per month, and a stormwater fee increase from $4 to $6 per month. He also reported no change to the millage rate (remaining at 10.875 mills).
Council Member Shane Savant asked why fire and stormwater fees were proposed to rise by roughly 50% while other fees had smaller increases. Newbern said the city’s rates were significantly lower than surrounding communities and had been compared in setting the proposal. Council Member Carla Coley noted the fire fee’s original purpose was to provide dedicated funding for the fire department and suggested that any increase be used for that purpose rather than absorbed into the general fund. Mayor Billy Yeomans proposed not imposing the increased fire and stormwater fees on senior citizens. City Clerk Candace Summerall suggested charging vacant lots for fire and stormwater fees because they are not currently charged.
The council began a line-item review covering travel expenses, mayor and council salaries, professional purchase services, technology fees, insurance costs and employee incentive programs. Because of time constraints the council agreed to continue the detailed review at upcoming meetings.
No budget adoption occurred at the April 28 session; next steps are the May work sessions followed by public hearings in June.
