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Kingsport adopts $114M general fund budget with 3% COLA and no tax increase
Summary
The Board approved the FY 2026–27 general fund budget of just over $114 million with no property tax increase and a recommended 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for city employees; the budget also funds $4.7M in paving and $350,000/year for body‑worn cameras for the police department.
The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the city’s general fund budget for fiscal 2026–27, presenting it as balanced and adopted with no increase in the property tax rate.
City management told the board the proposed general fund is just over $114,000,000 and includes a recommended 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for city employees. The manager highlighted capital and service priorities in the budget: approximately $4,700,000 in general‑fund paving projects, completion of the Justice Center and library projects, investments in roads and intersections, site preparation for a new elementary school in the Lingard community, and a new full‑time position for the reopened Otter Habitat at Bays Mountain.
The budget presentation also noted staffing changes and operating efficiencies: two new sanitation positions tied to annexation and development, consolidation of external communications contracts to create an in‑house FTE, and IT consolidations to add internal capacity. Management said the budget seeks to reduce overtime and relies on a combination of cash flow and project consolidation to meet capital needs.
The package funds body‑worn cameras for the Kingsport Police Department for the first time, at an annual recurring cost staff estimated at $350,000. The manager tied the cameras to recruiting expectations and to the city’s strategic plan.
Vice Mayor Duncan moved adoption of the ordinance; the board voted to pass it on first reading as recorded in the meeting transcript. Several aldermen thanked staff and management for a balanced budget prepared without a tax increase.
The manager said the second reading is scheduled in two weeks and that staff will continue to provide details on capital project timing; the board and staff signaled follow‑up conversations about the five‑ to ten‑year capital plan this fall.
