Garner Town Council Passes $87.3 Million Operations Budget for Fiscal Year 2026
The Garner Town Council at its June 17 meeting approved by a 3-2 vote an $87.3 million operations budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which begins July 1.
The Garner Town Council at its June 17 meeting approved by a 3-2 vote an $87.3 million operations budget for fiscal year 2025-26, which begins July 1.
The budget, which holds the municipal property tax rate at the current 52 cents per $100 valuation, is a $9.9 million increase over this year’s amended budget.
________
Two main Council priorities are at the center of the approved budget: the Garner Fire-Rescue consolidation with the Town on July 1 of this year and the opening of the new Yeargan Park in the fall of 2026.
The budget funds nine new positions to support the Garner Fire-Rescue consolidation and 12 new positions for operations at Yeargan Park, which will open with four athletic fields, an inclusive playground, a shelter with restrooms and covered seating, and Garner Road frontage improvements with a 10-foot-wide multi-use path.
“I am pleased that the FY26 budget invests in Garner’s vibrant future, focusing on community quality of life as well as overall safety and well-being,” Town Manager Jodi Miller said. “We are also thrilled to welcome the Garner Fire-Rescue Department on July 1.”
The budget includes funding for the Police Department to support staffing, vehicles and equipment needs. The funding may be used to hire additional positions based on the priorities set by the incoming police chief.
________
Street resurfacing funding will increase by $544,000 next fiscal year, and there will be a new annual allocation of $200,000 for traffic-calming measures to improve road conditions and enhance neighborhood safety as Garner grows.
The budget also supports the priorities of residents, as gleaned from Garner’s participation in the 2024 National Community Survey.
In response to concerns about housing, $100,000 was set aside in the budget for housing preservation services funding to help residents remain in their homes, to maintain Garner’s older housing stock and to preserve affordable housing options in the town.
________
To meet residents’ demand for more recreational opportunities and special events, the Parks, and Recreation & Cultural Resources Department received funding to expand its programs and services, including the introduction of new volleyball and basketball opportunities, additional performances for special events and the addition of specialized programs tailored to support individuals with special needs or disabilities.
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources also received funding for two new full-time positions to support its program enhancements.
Four other full-time positions are funded in the approved budget as well:
Inspections will receive two positions to meet the rapidly increasing service demands related to Garner’s fast growth.
Two positions have been funded for general government support and innovation.
________
The Council also approved by a 3-2 vote a capital projects budget for fiscal year 2025-26 totaling $4,987,752. The largest appropriation in that budget is $2.2 million for vehicle and equipment replacement. Nearly a million dollars is set aside for the Penny for Parks program, which enables maintenance and upgrades of existing Town parks and recreational facilities.
Recent data released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that Garner is the 10th fastest-growing municipality in the country. Despite the rapid change, the Town continues to follow sound fiscal policies and practices that have resulted in maintaining stellar credit ratings of AAA by Standard & Poor’s and Aa1by Moody’s Investors Services.
For more information on the Town budget, please visit the FY26 Budget Portal webpage.
via Town of Garner
Town of Garner 2025-2026 Budget Portal Open for Feedback and Recommendations
The Town of Garner’s budget portal is open.
Do you have recommendations for Town Council for the 2025-2026 Budget?
The Town has opened its budget portal 2025-2026.
Do you have recommendations or suggestions for next year’s budget?
Town Council Approves Budget for FY 2021-22 That Supports Critical Services
The Town Council at its June 7 regular meeting voted unanimously to adopt a $43.2 million operating budget for fiscal year 2021-22, which begins July 1.
The budget funds a sidewalk maintenance pilot program, replacement of multiple bleachers at Town ballfields and numerous new positions, including four critically needed police patrol officers and a community risk captain for Garner Fire-Rescue.
The Town Council at its June 7 regular meeting voted unanimously to adopt a $43.2 million operating budget for fiscal year 2021-22, which begins July 1.
The budget funds a sidewalk maintenance pilot program, replacement of multiple bleachers at Town ballfields and numerous new positions, including four critically needed police patrol officers and a community risk captain for Garner Fire-Rescue.
The additional officers will allow the Police Department to respond to the Town’s growing population and maintain current service levels. The community risk captain will enable Garner Fire-Rescue to implement various initiatives designed to educate local residents about fire-prevention practices.
A municipal property-tax rate increase of 1.5 cents is included in the FY 21-22 budget, bringing the Town's rate to 50.21 cents per $100 valuation.
Even with the tax-rate increase, the adopted budget continues to ensure that Garner will have the lowest effective tax rate among Wake County municipalities (view comparison chart).
"I want to thank the staff that worked on this [budget], but particularly I want to thank this Council,” Mayor Ken Marshburn said at the June 7 Council meeting.
He said the Council made prudent decisions to restore to the budget several new positions that had been requested by departments but were not originally part of the recommended budget. Mayor Marshburn said the positions that were restored would help the Town meet important service needs and that failing to include them in the budget would have amounted to “kicking the can down the road—and that’s not a good thing.”
In addition to the four police officers and the fire community risk captain, new positions funded in the budget include a risk manager; a GIS mapping position for Planning; an IT/communications specialist; four park attendants; conversion of part-time Public Works grounds positions to full time; enhancements to the Public Works fleet management team and four positions that could help the Town manage a new bond program if approved by voters in November.
The projected Town-wide value of assessed property for fiscal year 2021-22 increased by $186.2 million, or 3.9 percent, over the projection for the current fiscal year. This rise was driven mainly by new home construction and the addition of $154 million in equipment at the Amazon fulfillment center on Jones Sausage Road.
View the original recommended budget.
View the changes approved by Council as part of the adopted budget.
Watch discussion and adoption of budget at June 7 Council meeting.
Post Date: 06/08/2021 2:55 PM