Town reviews proposed FY2026–27 budget with roughly $39 million in projects; public hearing set for June 9

At a May 28 budget workshop, town staff presented a proposed FY2026–27 consolidated budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that includes roughly $33 million in capital projects and a broader consolidated projects total near $39 million, with about $7.8 million earmarked for land acquisition, staff said.

"So, just a reminder of where we are tonight. This is budget workshop number two. We'll have second reading and the official public hearing for the budget at the next council meeting on June the 9th," Presenter Stephen told the council. The presentation explained that the CIP makes up about one‑third of the proposed budget and that capital thresholds (generally $5,000; $50,000 for roads, buildings and software) determine which items are capitalized.

Why it matters: the plan funds a mix of land acquisition, parks and streetscape work, stormwater and sewer connections, facilities renovations and road projects that will guide construction and maintenance work across the town in the coming year and affect how staff prioritize engineering, bidding and grant matches.

Key allocations and projects
- Land acquisition: staff identified about $8.4 million of transfers into the CIP, roughly $7.8 million of which is directed to land acquisition.
- Parks and hospitality/local accommodations funds: about $5.5 million in hospitality tax transfers were shown for parks and streetscape projects; local accommodations tax funds were also listed for streetscape and park improvements.
- Facilities: carried forward projects include Sarah Allen Hook's cottage and the Long Pavilion; a public services facility (a west‑side substation) is planned to store equipment and support operations west of Buckwalter.
- Rotary Community Center: staff said an initial small renovation expanded in scope due to failing windows, rot and aging soundproofing panels; the project will be carried as a capital item and may require brief temporary closures.
- Roads and pedestrian safety: planned work includes Calhoun and Boundary streetscapes, War Street lighting, two connector roads (Washington Square and Holly Hill) and efforts with Dominion to convert historic district overhead lines; staff also described rapid‑flashing beacons and improved crosswalks at New Riverside/Promenade and on Bluffton Road to improve pedestrian safety. The New Riverside crossing is on private property and does not require DOT approval; the Bluffton Road crossing is on a state road and requires DOT sign‑off.
- Stormwater and sewer: staff carried forward funding for sewer lateral connections in Districts 4–6 pending system approval from BJWSA and listed a comprehensive drainage program addressing Crooked and Jordan creeks; a May River Watershed pervious restoration pilot was proposed in partnership with the school district pending grant awards (the federal hazard mitigation program was cited).

On inspection and enforcement, watershed staff member Kim said the town conducts post‑construction best management practice inspections as part of its MS4 permit cycle (about every five years) and can follow up under the stormwater ordinance where maintenance is not being performed.

"We must do post‑construction BMP inspections per permit cycle... should be every 5 years," Kim said, describing the town's inspection cadence and follow‑up authority.

Budget process and next steps
Staff outlined revenue transfers—general fund, hospitality tax, local accommodations tax and TIF revenues—that fund the CIP. Stephen said the debt service fund will receive about $11 million in transfers, much of it supporting streetscape and park projects. The council set the public hearing and second reading for the budget on June 9 and staff invited additional questions before that date.

The council agreed to carry several ongoing projects into the next fiscal year (for example, New River Linear Trail and Pritchard Street streetscape) and noted some projects are awaiting grant notifications before moving to construction. Staff said they will provide more detailed mapping and an updated count of properties remaining to be connected to sewer as research with BJWSA continues.

The meeting closed with council members commending staff for reducing CIP carryovers and improving project delivery; staff encouraged follow‑up questions prior to second reading.