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Greenville staff presents $41 million proposed FY2025–26 budget with planned staffing boosts and water rate increase
Summary
City staff presented the proposed FY2025–26 budget showing a 17% general‑fund reserve, planned merit increases and personnel additions, a 10% water/sewer rate hike tied to an upcoming wastewater treatment plant expansion, and capital requests including vehicles and equipment.
Summer, speaking for city staff, presented the proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget and said the city’s general fund balance is projected at 17% of expenses, within the city policy range of 15–20%.
"Overall, we're in a strong financial position, with fund balances...for this budget that you'll see presented to you tonight, it's at 17% of expenses for general fund," Summer said during the presentation. She noted the budget assumes a modest sales‑tax forecast (roughly 6% projected growth while one slide showed an 8.24% increase over last year) and reported a 4.68% growth in net taxable property value and a 26% increase in new taxable value.
The proposal includes a 10% water and sewer rate increase tied to a planned wastewater treatment plant expansion expected to proceed in a later bond phase. Summer told the council the city expects to negotiate health insurance renewal costs down to about a 5% increase after discussions with the broker and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Staff proposed a personnel package that includes a 5% merit pool costing approximately $1,108,002.55 across funds, a 1% base pay increase (~$224,000) and pay‑plan adjustments of about $123,000. The staffing plan would add line positions described in the budget book — including two police officers, an operations lieutenant, an assistant community development director, multiple rec‑center part‑time hires and several full‑time conversions — with an estimated total personnel cost across funds of roughly $1,987,098.
On capital, staff proposed vehicle replacements and additions (12 new vehicles at an estimated cost of $382,590), lease options for a street sweeper, replacement dump trucks, and equipment for utilities and parks. Specific CIP items listed for the general fund included Spillman upgrades, taser/axon replacements, SCBA units for fire, and animal control upgrades. Summer said the enterprise funds are stable and that retained earnings showed only modest change from the prior year.
City staff emphasized the budget materials and the full budget book would be posted on the city's website, and council members were offered an editable worksheet ahead of an August work session and a September 9 meeting to consider changes before adoption.
