Memo
To: Mayor and Council
From: Mic
hael Jones, City Administrator
Date: June
1, 2026
Re: FY 20
27 Recommended Budget
Staff
is presenting for your consideration the FY 2027 Recommended Budget totaling $122,710,365. Fiscal Year
2027 refers to the period of time between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. This submittal is the result of the
annual budgeting process that began last November. It satisfies the State of Georgia requirement for every
local government to adopt a balanced operating budget. Once adopted, subsequent amendments may be
considered and approved by the Governing Body as needed.
The budget
document plays a critical role in setting and pursuing the overall direction of the City. It allows the
City to implement the policies adopted by Mayor & Council. It requires staff to think strategically about both
short- and long-term goals, prioritizing funding requests and making best use of limited resources. It
incorporates public input from informal conversations between constituents and elected officials. The budget
document transparently provides citizens with the City’s blueprint for achieving its goals and provides
accountability for how taxpayer dollars are utilized.
Fiscal
responsibility continues to be a top priority for both elected officials and administrative staff. The FY
2027 budget process sought to pursue improvements across every facet of the City, while maintaining
financial discipline and working within the constraints of its revenue sources. It is this discipline that helped
weather the uncertain economic shifts of the past several years. Staff will continue to focus on being good
stewards of public funds and protecting the trust it has earned.
The FY
2027 Recommended Budget has been developed using all available information, data, and insight,
always aware we must prepare for new challenges and opportunities. Revenues and expenditures are
monitored constantly to determine what changes, if any, need to be made. The following pages provide a few
highlights of the detailed information found elsewhere in this Budget Book.
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