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Picayune council advances FY2026 budget plan, sets tax levy and schedules final adoption
Summary
The Picayune City Council opened a public hearing on the FY2026 budget, endorsed level funding with a proposed 3% across‑the‑board raise and adopted a resolution keeping the millage rate unchanged; the council also passed a series of routine agenda items and set a special meeting for Sept. 11 to adopt the budget.
The Picayune City Council on Sept. 2 opened a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and adopted a resolution to set the city's tax levy while approving a package of routine agenda items.
Finance administration presented a recommended budget that maintains level funding for most city operations, keeps the millage rate unchanged and includes a proposed 3% across-the-board pay increase for employees. The finance administrator said the recommendation would fund an additional full-time patrol officer and incentive pay for police and fire without raising the millage rate. "We wouldn't go up on the millage rate at all," the finance administrator said during the presentation.
City Manager Harvey Miller and council members praised the work of the finance team and the recent audit results. Miller said the city placed among the top 10 percent of statewide audits and thanked staff for their efforts.
The council adopted a resolution to set the tax levy for FY2026, maintaining the prior reduction in millage that was implemented last year, and scheduled a special called meeting for 4 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2025, to finalize and adopt the budget. The council opened and later closed the public hearing on the budget as part of the meeting record.
Votes at a glance (outcomes recorded in meeting minutes): - Consent agenda: approved by voice vote (motion moved by Councilwoman Stevens, seconded by Councilwoman Turnage). - Docket: approved by voice vote. - Pretty Powerful and Pink Foundation walk (Oct. 18, 2025): approved. - Rental pricing for the Oaks at Crosby Commons (including Magnolia Street side): approved. - Adoption of ADA policy, Limited English Proficiency (LEP) plan, and ADA self-evaluation and transition plan: approved. - Ordinance amendment to update fireworks sale dates to match recent state law changes: approved. - Police items (allowing a retiring officer to purchase a duty firearm under state law, travel requests, canine certification): approved. - Surplus and auction of multiple firearms: approved. - T-hangar lease at Picayune Municipal Airport with Cloud 9 Aviation, Inc.: approved. - Residential garbage collection fee increase (per 2022 contract and CPI clause): approved. - Resolution setting tax levy for FY2026: adopted; special meeting to adopt budget set for Sept. 11, 2025.
Most actions were approved by voice vote; detailed roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript. Council members asked staff for additional budget comparators (requested 2%, 3% and 4% raise scenarios) before the final adoption at the Sept. 11 meeting.
The next procedural step is the Sept. 11 special called meeting, at which the council is scheduled to adopt the budget for FY2026.
