Atlantic Beach reviews revised 2025 budget, projects revenue from concerts, parking and seeks funds to add officer

Town Manager Linda Cheatham presented the council with a workshop review of the town’s finances, describing a revised fiscal‑year 2025 estimate of about $1.6 million (original budget $1.3 million) and a set of proposed items for fiscal 2026.

Cheatham said the increase for 2025 reflects grants and other income received during the year, including $24,000 tied to electric vehicle chargers (installed near 30th and 32nd), an operational fund balance referenced at $212,000 (noted in the discussion as tied to 2021 receipts) and an $83,000 amount that had to be expended by Dec. 31, 2024 and was applied to items such as EV chargers and roof repairs. She identified a $17,000 grant from the Donnelly Foundation and an $11,000 police reserve, and said the town expects $1,000 from Santee Cooper’s Economic Development Fund and proceeds from selling an easement to North Myrtle Beach as part of a water project.

Looking to 2026, Cheatham said planners are considering a roughly 5–6% increase in property tax revenue and a proposed reduction in business license revenue of $18,516 to lower local rates effective April 2026. The town expects concert-series revenue (the council approved a four-event series) and parking-program receipts to contribute to next year’s income; Cheatham estimated a $120,000 concert revenue share and about $100,000 from the parking program for fiscal 2026.

Cheatham said legal and accounting expenses are projected to drop from an estimated $193,000 in 2025 to $100,000 in 2026, noting elevated legal fees in 2025 related to election lawsuits. The proposed 2026 budget includes an emergency reserve of $200,000 and $100,000 for capital improvements.

On staffing, Cheatham said the 2026 draft budget includes funding for an additional police officer; she stated the town was looking to hire in June so the officer could be on duty for Bike Fest. In answering a resident’s questions during public comment, Cheatham said the town currently has varying descriptions of staffing in the record (she said "three police officers and a chief" in the meeting, and elsewhere the discussion referred to four), and council members said the stated objective is to move toward five officers as revenue allows.

Cheatham also said Bike Fest revenues and related rental/purchase costs are being segregated into a separate fund to make tracking clearer, and the attorney is drafting new ordinances to enable police to issue more town citations where appropriate. She invited council members to ask follow‑up questions and offered to provide a specific tally of legal fees if requested.