Brownsburg advances $83.4M 2027 budget on first reading; council hears questions about fleet, taxes and a possible $800,000 sports contribution

Town staff presented highlights of the proposed 2027 budget at the Sept. 10 meeting and council approved the ordinance on its proposed first reading. Miss Cook summarized the process and numbers, saying ‘‘we are requesting a 3% increase for 2027’’ and later citing a final request figure of about $83.4 million during the presentation.

The presentation noted population growth (the town is ‘‘up to almost 34,000’’), various capital projects totaling more than $9 million next year, and a planned $19 million bond for a street department facility and a police training facility. Staff also described state-level changes that have reduced taxable assessed values and therefore affected the town's tax rate. Councilors asked technical questions about disposal of replaced equipment (trade-in vs. redeploy), whether replaced vehicles had book value, and whether some vehicles are permitted for take-home use. Staff replied that disposal follows Indiana law, trade-ins are used when appropriate, and take-home vehicles are limited primarily to police and fire personnel so they can respond quickly.

During budget discussion President Lacey raised a separate proposal that had been discussed informally: a potential one-time town contribution cited around $800,000 to assist a youth-sports foundation with a field-replacement project. Counsel advised caution about including contingent or ‘‘no strings attached’’ contributions in the advertised budget and suggested an additional appropriation after the budget year if the deal becomes formalized. Council set the next hearings for Sept. 24 and Oct. 8 for second and final readings.

The council voted to approve ordinance 2026-616 on the proposed first reading by motion.