Finance director presents $51.8 million proposed FY2027 budget, cites one-time use of reserves

Finance Director Jessica Leonard presented the city manager’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the council, saying the plan seeks to ‘‘maintain essential services, invest in our employees and infrastructure, and reserve the city's long term financial stability.” Leonard said the presentation shows ‘‘approximately $50,100,000 in general fund revenues and $51,760,000 in expenditures. The difference, about $1,660,000 is the planned use of accumulated fund balance.”

Leonard outlined priorities embedded in the proposal: public safety funding (about $10.2 million for police and roughly $7.8 million for fire, a combined public-safety investment near $18 million), targeted capital spending and a one-step salary adjustment for eligible employees. She said the city will ‘‘continue to maintain the 17% minimum fund balance requirement, which is approximately $8,500,000,” and noted a five-year capital-improvement plan that identifies roughly $6.2 million in capital needs, not all of which are funded in the coming year. The presentation emphasized that the planned draw on reserves is intended for one-time investments such as vehicles, painting and facility repairs, not ongoing operating costs.