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Peachtree City manager proposes $60M FY2027 budget, emphasizes public-safety investments and reserve-backed police renovations
Summary
City Manager Justin Strickland presented a proposed FY2027 budget that holds service levels steady, projects $60.0M in general fund revenues, adds six new positions (five in public safety), budgets a 3% COLA and proposes $6M in reserves for police renovations alongside a potential facilities bond.
Peachtree City Manager Justin Strickland on Monday presented the city's proposed fiscal 2027 budget, saying the plan preserves existing service levels while adding targeted personnel and capital investments.
The proposed General Fund shows roughly $60,000,007 in revenue for FY2027 and is balanced against planned expenditures that include a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, a 2% technology increase and several personnel changes. Strickland and finance staff said personnel additions amount to six net new positions (including three midyear firefighters, an EMS training officer, a police staff assistant and a planner), plus four reclassifications, producing a net General Fund personnel cost of about $508,000.
Strickland framed personnel increases and the COLA as measures to keep city pay competitive amid post-pandemic wage growth and rising CPI, which he said has eroded purchasing power. Kelly (finance staff) told council that approximately 44% of the city's revenue pie is property tax and that taxes (property, sales and franchise) make up roughly 82% of total revenues.
The presentation also outlined capital planning and a two-track approach for police facility needs: use $6 million of reserves for immediate renovations (gun range, emergency operations center, PD storage) and pursue a separate facilities-authority bond for additional projects (Kedron structure and the Mead multipurpose field). Staff said the $6 million cash draw would reduce reserves but kept projected fund-balance ratios above the council's stated policy minimum (staff cited a policy target near 31%). The bond option would be amortized over 15 years if pursued.
On maintenance and operations, staff highlighted that public safety, parks, public works and recreation account for the majority of operating expenditures; public safety costs to the General Fund were presented at approximately $28.45 million versus ad valorem revenue of roughly $24 million, with other revenue sources covering the gap. Staff emphasized the city maintains an extensive asset base'more than 100 miles of public multiuse path, 95 miles of storm pipe and roughly 2,650 acres of city-owned land'and argued continued maintenance funding is necessary to preserve service levels.
Strickland said the city will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget and CIP on July 9 and tentatively adopt the budget at the August 20 meeting. Council moved and seconded to adjourn at the end of the session.
The meeting closed with no formal adoption of the budget; adoption remains a future council decision after the public hearing and any amendments.
