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Commission hears 2027 budget workshop as staff outlines $1.9M revenue gap
Summary
Staff presented a revised 2027 budget with a $696,000 reduction from the initial draft and warned of a $1.916 million difference between projected expenses and revenues; commissioners discussed SPLOST, capital needs, leasing options and the need for quarterly amendments to manage the shortfall.
City staff presented a revised draft of the 2027 budget at the July 7 Cordele City Commission meeting and told commissioners the proposal incorporates a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment, a $300 supplement and a retirement enhancement while trimming roughly $696,000 from the original draft.
Staff and commissioners noted a projected revenue/expense gap of approximately $1.916 million for the general fund and discussed strategies to manage that shortfall. Finance staff said enterprise funds will cover some items but the general fund gap will require either revenue increases, additional cuts, or reallocations. Commissioners discussed using SPLOST to cover some public‑works capital requests (public works estimated a capital request around $800,000), the tradeoffs of leasing versus buying equipment to reduce near‑term outlays, and the need for periodic budget amendments during the year.
Several commissioners urged moving forward with an original budget so the commission has a baseline to amend over the year; others argued for more conservatism given the gap. The commission agreed to proceed with the original budget framework while accepting that amendments will likely be necessary during the fiscal year.
Staff will bring follow-up proposals on revenues (including water/gas rates, to be discussed separately) and capital priorities and will continue refining the figures for a final budget adoption schedule.
