Harrisburg presents balanced FY27 preliminary budget while flagging major property‑tax uncertainty

Town of Harrisburg officials on Saturday walked the council and public through a daylong budget workshop that presented a balanced preliminary fiscal‑year 2027 budget while repeatedly warning that pending state property‑tax reform could upend local revenue forecasts.

The town’s management and department heads stressed the presentation was not a final budget and does not set a tax rate. Town manager Rob told council the FY27 package is a one‑year operational CIP that keeps the existing tax rate and funds planned work next year, but he and staff cautioned that “four potential” state bills — including a proposed constitutional levy limit and changes to nonprofit and low‑income exemptions — create deep uncertainty for municipalities whose core services are funded with property taxes.

“Property‑tax reform at the state level could fundamentally change how we forecast and pay for police, fire and streets,” Rob said, noting Harrisburg currently dedicates roughly half of its property‑tax revenue to public safety. He said staff will be reaching out to state lawmakers to explain local impacts.

Department heads used the workshop to present operational details and capital priorities. Public works director John Young outlined a pavement‑management program (PCI ~78), the town’s PAL paving program and a suite of transportation requests including wayfinding signs, a recommended alternative for the Roberto Road/Highway 49 intersection (design dollars proposed in FY27), and smaller sidewalk and greenway connections. Young also warned of rising water‑and‑wastewater treatment costs passed through from partner agencies and described meter‑replacement and sewer‑rehab priorities.

Captain Nash of the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office summarized county coverage for Harrisburg and asked the town to consider joint storage for small vehicles and equipment; the sheriff’s office reports 29 deputies assigned to the town (27 funded by Harrisburg) and provides specialty teams to the town at no additional cost. Fire Chief Brian Dunn detailed vehicle and equipment needs — including a request to replace aging SCBA packs (a federal AFG grant will be sought), new extrication tools to cut modern boron‑steel vehicle structures and an additional water‑rescue trailer for the town’s state‑designated team.

Parks director Jim described strong community participation in youth sports and special events, but said the town is rethinking crowd control and safety at its July 3–4 celebration after audiences swelled (staff cited a 27,000‑person attendance figure last year). Parks leaders proposed measures including a resident‑priority entry lane, a ticketing/scanning workflow for non‑resident admission, moving the fireworks to the YMCA parcel to improve access, and shuttles to reduce congestion. Jim also requested capital funding for turf and infield renovations and renewed emphasis on greenway connections.

Finance director Brian reviewed the town’s strong investment returns in recent years and showed the municipal debt profile remains manageable; he recommended several operational changes to improve efficiency, including phasing out small utility security deposits, expanding electronic payments for vendors and events, and simplifying the town’s penny‑rounding approach for small cash refunds.

What happens next: staff will take feedback from the workshop into the April 9 council budget workshop where council members will see the manager’s revised recommended budget and begin the exercise that leads to the public hearing and final adoption schedule later this spring.