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Port Royal previews balanced $11.14 million budget with 2‑mill reduction; council asks staff to study elected-official pay
Summary
Council reviewed a $11,135,670 FY2025–26 balanced budget that includes a millage cut from 74 to 72 mills, a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and a 5% police increase; mayor asked staff to study whether council and mayor pay should be adjusted to align with peers while maintaining the planned tax reduction.
Town staff presented a balanced FY2025–26 budget proposal of $11,135,670 at a June 4 budget workshop and public hearing, with a proposed millage reduction from 74 mills to 72 mills and a cost‑of‑living adjustment of 3% for employees.
Staff (speaker 2) told the council the budget includes the proposed millage change and an estimated mill value of $78,769. The packet also shows a 5% pay increase for the police department and contains a court department budget of $249,315.
Mayor (speaker 1) raised a separate but related topic: council and mayor compensation. Citing staff research, the mayor said Port Royal's elected pay is substantially lower than many peer towns — council members were shown at $3,600 per year and the mayor at $4,800 per year. The mayor said the town cannot implement raises for sitting council members immediately under state statute; any change would take effect only after the next election. He asked staff to research options so future councils could have compensation more comparable to peers without changing the proposed budget or the two‑mill reduction.
During the workshop the council received one public comment on the budget portion from John O'Toole (speaker 8) of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (EDC). O'Toole said the EDC has helped bring significant investment to the county (he said the EDC had booked more than $800 million in investment countywide and worked on projects that created about 3,000 jobs averaging roughly $60,000 per year) and asked the town to improve communication with the EDC and consider appointing a regular EDC board representative so Port Royal's priorities are represented. The mayor thanked O'Toole and said the town would continue to work with the EDC.
Council directed staff to prepare second‑reading materials for the budget ordinance and scheduled follow‑up meetings. The council also placed the PUD and Safe Harbor ordinance second readings on the June 11 agenda.
Other items highlighted during the council briefing included capital projects such as West Paris Avenue stormwater and sidewalk work, Paris Avenue streetscape bidding, ongoing speed hump installations, and a progress update on the Spanish Moss Trail crossing bid.
