Milton council sets public hearing on budget

Milton Town Council has set Monday, Aug. 18, as the date for a public hearing on the town’s proposed $5 million Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

The budget calls for a 3.35% increase to property taxes and also includes a new, data-driven capital improvement plan. All told, under the proposed budget, the town would have a $15,000 surplus.

At its Aug. 4 meeting, council was largely satisfied with the budget Town Manager Kristy Rogers presented to them.

Mayor John Collier said, “I can’t find any flaw. It introduces something that Milton has never had: a multiyear capital improvement plan. There is a small tax increase. Each percentage of that increase amounts to about $25,000.”

Councilman Fred Harvey added, “I think Mrs. Rogers did a very good job with this. I don’t see anywhere where we can do anything else to it.”

For the past year, the town has been working with consultants PFM to change the way the town does business, relying less on reserve funds and realty transfer tax revenues to merely balance the budget and instead building up reserves, and if those funds are used, they go toward capital expenses. 

Last year, council increased property taxes by 30%, which was intended to increase reserves and avoid future large increases. This year’s increase is in keeping with an ordinance passed in 2024 that tied property tax increases to the consumer price index and the employment cost index. Property taxes are the town’s primary source of revenue, accounting for 66% of revenue. The increase will bring the town an additional $75,000. 

Vice Mayor Lee Revis-Plank asked Rogers whether the town could move forward without the 3.35% tax increase. Rogers said unless council can figure out a way to make up the $75,000 in revenue, the answer is no. 

The FY 2026 budget does not include real estate transfer tax revenue as anything other than reserves. Part of the rationale for weaning the town off transfer tax revenue is because it can be unpredictable, and Rogers told the town’s finance committee Aug. 5 that data shows home buying and new construction slowing down. 

Besides the property tax rate, the only other increases for residents are the trash bill rising from $80 per quarter to $83 per quarter, and the debt service fee, which is going from $8.50 per quarter to $12 per quarter. 

The new five-year capital improvement program is intended to provide a road map for better planning and financing of improvements. Rogers said this plan is much more in depth, as it is categorized by department, and projects are given a priority ranking based on a scoring system. She said this will be much more efficient, as decisions on spending for capital improvements will be based on data. 

Rogers told the finance committee that a decision the council will have to make is whether it plans to move forward this year with a new police station and municipal building on Magnolia Street land the town purchased earlier this year. Demolition of existing structures on the property is part of the plan. If council chooses not to move forward this year, the town will need to come up with a plan for a proposed renovation to town hall that would add four to five new offices for staff, a new meeting room, an office for mayor and council, and improved security. Rogers said the town has outgrown the current facility.

“If we’re not going to move next year with building another facility, I need to add on to town hall. I need to add more staff. I need space for services. Renovations need to happen at town hall. There are logistical issues,” she said. 

Other capital projects include the purchase of two new vehicles for the police department, a new salt spreader and utility trailer for the streets department, and a new equipment trailer for the water department. The plan also includes replacing water mains on Boxwood and Hemlock streets, both located off Bay Avenue. 

The finance committee will hold one more meeting on the budget, set for 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14. Council will then hold its public hearing Aug. 18, and after that, council will enact the budget, which could happen as soon as Monday, Sept. 8. Council has until Sept. 30 to finalize the budget before the next fiscal year begins Oct. 1.