Fairmont City Council adopts FY27 property tax levy after brief debate over animal-control and arts funding

Fairmont City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution approving property tax levy rates for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, finalizing the city's FY27 budget after a public hearing and unanimous roll-call vote.

Priscilla Hamilton, the city's finance director, told the council the resolution was "the final step to complete many months of work," saying it "sets the levy rates" and finalizes the FY27 budget. Hamilton spoke in favor of the measure and thanked council for its input during the budget process.

During council discussion Hamilton raised questions about the city's animal-control spending, noting the meeting transcript recorded "expenses for animal control, which are over a $120,000 for the year," and an "estimated current expenditures" figure of $61,800. She also said she did not recall approving an $11,000 allocation for arts and humanities at an earlier discussion.

The presiding officer responded that items raised had been discussed at the budget workshop and said certain external funding obligations are prescribed by state law. The city manager told the council that approximately $10,000 of the $11,000 arts allocation has been a recurring grant-line item that has not yet been expended in the current fiscal year, and that the city provides animal-control services under a contractual arrangement with the county. "At times it has been a hotly debated issue," the city manager said, acknowledging performance problems in the past but saying they have been addressed through conversation and contract management. He added that operating an in-house dog warden had been "dramatically more" expensive in the other city where he worked.

Hamilton asked for a detailed breakdown of animal-control expenditures; the city manager said he would provide that information offline and reiterated that the day's action concerned property-tax levy rates.

After the public hearing was closed, the council voted on the resolution. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote; recorded responses included "Yes" from Council members Newsom, Sowell, Horton, Moran, Wade, McDaniel, Weber and the presiding officer. A brief name correction occurred on the record during the clerk's roll call (the clerk corrected a mayoral name during the sequence). The clerk announced the resolution would be adopted.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that carried by voice vote.

What happens next: The levy rates adopt the property-tax schedule that will take effect July 1, 2026, and city staff said they will provide requested expenditure breakdowns on animal-control spending for council review.