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Brandon city staff outline FY25→26 budget shifts; amphitheater capital work drives large increase
Summary
City staff presented a draft FY25→26 budget that reallocates IT costs, shows modest net increases in general government, and proposes roughly $500,000 in amphitheater capital improvements tied to back‑of‑house operational needs. Chair previewed a forthcoming cost‑of‑living recommendation for employees.
Staff member (S1) and the city’s leadership reviewed departmental budgets at a Brandon city budget workshop, highlighting a reclassification of IT costs, modest net changes across most departments, and a sizable capital request for the amphitheater.
S1 opened the session with a general government summary, saying personnel costs are projected to rise 2%, supplies 4% and other services and charges 31%, with capital spending effectively flat. S1 attributed the bulk of the 31% increase to a reclassification of IT/data processing costs into a Cielo account and to increased professional services such as legal and audit work, plus line items for beautification and conventions. S1 noted approximately $5,000 in miscellaneous building capital repairs.
On IT, S1 said the city moved recurring software and server costs out of account 600 into a separate Cielo account to improve tracking, listing renewals and services including Adobe and Office 365, server maintenance, DNS hosting and the point‑of‑sale and payroll systems.
Park and Recreation figures showed smaller net changes: S1 reported personnel down 2%, supplies up 3% and capital up 10%, with the net year‑over‑year difference described as roughly $8,500 after transfers. Parks presenter (S4) flagged field repairs (including foul‑ball netting and engineering review for ballfields 4 and 5), a potential receptionist position at the front desk and the loss of three seasonal staff who will leave for college.
Events and the amphitheater accounted for the largest single capital ask. S1 said the events budget reflects a 39% personnel increase driven by a transferred position, a 75% rise in supplies for special events and an overall increase of roughly $145,000 from FY25 to FY26 that staff described as fund reallocation rather than entirely new ongoing spending. For the amphitheater specifically, S1 reported personnel +22%, supplies +21% and capital +250%, characterizing the capital change as a projected roughly $500,000 package for items ranging from ticket scanners to site changes.
Presenter (S3), who oversees amphitheater operations, gave an extended account of back‑of‑house constraints that staff say motivate the capital request: lost storage to touring‑related VIP setups, repeated compactor/dumpster problems that attract pests, three‑phase power rewiring to accommodate caterers, added 50‑amp receptacles and facilities for tour drivers. S3 pointed to logistics for large shows (he cited a forthcoming event with about 14 buses and 11 trucks) and the move to paperless ticketing and additional point‑of‑sale tech support as operational pressures tied to the capital ask.
Chair (S2) closed the meeting with remarks on recruitment and compensation, previewing a cost‑of‑living adjustment to be brought for council consideration by the second meeting in August and noting prior pay changes for public safety. The transcript records Chair saying the city “stayed in the black $200,000 to the good last year” and that operations have been sustained by department managers’ efforts; he asked members to submit further thoughts for incorporation into the consolidated budget document.
No formal motions or votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. Staff said some personnel matters will be discussed in executive session.
