Spanish Fort council introduces FY2025-26 general operations budget; public hearing set for March 2

Mister Connor introduced Resolution No. 1582-2026 on behalf of city staff on the council dais, asking the council to replace the continuing budget resolution with a new FY2025-26 general operations budget and setting a public hearing for March 2, 2026.

Connor said the proposed budget reflects department requests and priorities following the mayoral transition and earlier interim budget actions. "The adoption of a budget is a way for municipal government, city council, and mayor to establish policies and procedures for the implementation of plans and goals for the city," he said, and noted the resolution would repeal Resolution No. 15-57-2025 (the continuing budget) and substitute the new budget document attached to the resolution.

Key items Connor highlighted include launching a comprehensive plan process this year, entering an agreement with Enterprise Leasing to manage city vehicles (which he said could reduce vehicle replacement cycles from about 10.8 years to roughly 5 years), paying off the Eastern Shore Center bond and earmarking funds for engineering related to potential annexation work on roads and infrastructure. He said those changes aim to preserve value in the fleet and advance long-term planning for service areas under consideration for annexation.

Council members thanked staff and colleagues for collaborative work on the document. The council did not adopt the budget at the meeting; instead, it scheduled a public hearing on March 2, 2026, so residents and stakeholders may comment before final action.

Next steps: the council will hold the public hearing on March 2 and may take final action after public input and any adjustments required by council direction or departmental updates.