Stuart council adopts $2.4 million FY2027 budget and modest utility-rate increases

The Stuart Town Council unanimously adopted a $2,396,529 balanced budget for fiscal year 2027 and approved modest increases to utility and service rates that take effect July 1, 2026.

Town Manager Bryce Simmons summarized the budget at a public hearing, saying the plan is supported by an estimated General Fund unassigned balance of about $3.9 million (per the FY2025 audit) and uses $25,972 of fund balance to offset a proposed utility-rate increase. He said the General Fund will subsidize the enterprise (water and sewer) funds by $283,521.

Simmons said utility treatment costs—chemicals and power—rose roughly 30 percent in recent years. He told the council that full cost recovery would require an increase of about $40 per customer per month, a jump he considered too large to impose at once. The council instead approved more modest adjustments; Simmons cited an example change in in-town residential water and sewer base rates from $21.11 to $22.50 and noted that the Town's per-1,000-gallon usage rates remain below the Patrick County PSA wholesale cost ($6.28 per 1,000 gallons for water and $8.52 for sewer).

No members of the public spoke during either hearing. The budget adoption motion was made by Councilor Jeffery Houchins and seconded by Councilor Rebecca Adcock and approved unanimously. The utility-and-service-rates motion was made by Councilor Rebecca Adcock, seconded by Councilor Erica Wade, and approved unanimously.

The council did not set aside additional immediate enterprise-only funding beyond the stated subsidy; Simmons said the Town will monitor costs and the financial condition going forward.

Votes at the hearing were unanimous among members present.