Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Herndon adopts FY2027 budget, tax levy, water/sewer and solid-waste changes after public comment
Summary
The council approved the FY2027 budget package including the tax levy (Ordinance 26-008), water and sewer rate increases (Ordinance 26-009), solid-waste fee recategorization and increase (Ordinance 26-010), fiscal planning resolution and appropriation ordinance (Ordinance 26-011), all by roll call (6-0 with one absent). Public commenters urged funding for cleanup day, nets near the golf course and transparency on police and utility spending.
The Herndon Town Council adopted its FY2027 budget and associated ordinances on April 28, approving the tax-levy ordinance and a package of utility and fee changes after a public comment period that raised concerns about cleanup-day funding, golf balls striking homes and police spending.
Town Attorney guidance at the meeting clarified the vote thresholds: a two-thirds vote (five affirmative votes) is required to adopt the tax-levy ordinance; a majority is required for water/sewer rate changes, solid-waste fees, the fiscal-planning resolution and the appropriation ordinance. Finance Director Marjorie Sloan summarized the budget process and confirmed staff recommended adoption.
During the single public-comment period for budget items, residents urged council to add funding for nets along the golf course to reduce property damage and safety risks (a petition of 23 residents was mentioned), questioned clean-up day cost accounting, and asked for clearer explanations of water and sewer increases and certain capital purchases. Vice Mayor Hedrick and other council members acknowledged those concerns and outlined the council's multi-year approach to shifting costs toward pay-for-use models where appropriate.
The council approved the tax-levy ordinance (Ordinance 26-008), the water and sewer rate ordinance (Ordinance 26-009), and the solid-waste fee ordinance (Ordinance 26-010) by roll-call votes recorded as 6-0 (one absent). The council also adopted the fiscal planning resolution (Resolution 26-G-27) and the appropriation ordinance (Ordinance 26-011) by the same margin. Council members repeatedly emphasized that some one-time capital items may use fund balance and that water/sewer increases reflect deferred maintenance and outside capital costs that must be covered in enterprise funds.
The council directed staff to continue outreach and to provide more detailed rate and fund-balance information to residents; staff agreed to provide detailed breakdowns on fund-balance use and one-time items.
Votes at a glance: Tax levy (Ordinance 26-008) — approved 6-0 (1 absent); Water/sewer rates (Ordinance 26-009) — approved 6-0 (1 absent); Solid-waste fee (Ordinance 26-010) — approved 6-0 (1 absent); Fiscal planning resolution (26-G-27) and appropriation (26-011) — approved 6-0 (1 absent).
