Wilson's Mills council reviews FY 2026‑27 budget; defers assistant manager hire and weighs equipment purchases

Wilson's Mills officials on April 13 reviewed the proposed FY 2026‑27 budget, with Town Administrator Leighanna Worley telling the council the town will delay hiring an Assistant Town Manager because the position would create at least a $73,000 shortfall in the coming year.

"We will be shopping for a new auditor this year, so the fee in the budget is an estimate," Town Administrator Leighanna Worley told the council as she walked members through the most recent revenue and expenditure spreadsheet. Worley said the town's revenue figures do not yet include projections from the North Carolina League of Municipalities and that the Powell Bill fund amount shown is an estimate.

The lede issue for council was staffing and costs: Worley said salaries, FICA and retirement have been entered as estimates pending a planned salary‑grade study, which she expects to complete before the next budget session. Group insurance figures are also estimated because the broker has not provided final rates.

Councilmembers pressed staff on several departmental clarifications. Councilmember David McGowan asked, "How will Council know how much is being spent on vehicles in each department?" Worley responded that Public Works Director Patrick Moore will track vehicle expenditures by department after vehicle maintenance line items (tire, oil and similar costs) were moved from Police to Public Works.

Moore described the Public Works budget items and equipment needs. "The uniform line is for the cleaning, repairing, and replacing of the department's uniforms," he said, and he recommended purchasing a snowplow and brine truck rather than relying on outside contractors for winter road service. Moore said he will continue to evaluate options for fueling and vehicle maintenance logistics raised by council members.

Other budget items discussed included an apparent misclassification of a plotter for the Planning Department (Worley said it should be moved from software to departmental supplies), contracted planning consultation with KCI, and Capital Outlay requests for Parks & Events. Staff identified a storage building and a splashpad as wish‑list items; Worley said those projects are noted in internal planning but are not fully reflected on the current spreadsheet.

Councilmembers also agreed to resume a seniors program this year, with Worley saying funds are budgeted to relaunch programming now that the town has suitable space. The Police Chief reported there is one long‑range camera at the Dog Park; new items for both the Community Park and Dog Park will require additional budgeting.

Worley said the town is soliciting proposals for a new auditor and has issued requests for proposals but has not received responses. She also said legal fees are higher in the draft because of ongoing work with outside counsel; an updated contract for Attorney Du Sablon's services will appear on council's agenda next week.

On personnel, Worley told council the Assistant Town Manager position cannot be funded in FY 2026‑27 without creating a shortfall of roughly $73,000, so she will move the position request to next year's budget. The council scheduled a follow‑up budget session to focus primarily on salaries with Human Resources Director Jenny Martin and to review updated numbers on the spreadsheet.

Councilmember Tim Brown suggested buying fuel in bulk and installing pumps at Town Hall; Mayor Pro‑tem JC Triplett said the town currently lacks space for fuel tanks and Moore said he would look into fueling options.

A motion to adjourn, moved by Councilmember David McGowan and seconded by Councilmember Doris Riley, carried unanimously. Mayor Fleta Byrd adjourned the meeting at 6:02 p.m.

Next steps: staff will complete the salary‑grade study before the next budget session, report back with updated insurance and auditor estimates, and bring the updated Attorney Du Sablon contract to a future agenda.