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Council approves biennial budget

by | Sep 16, 2025 | Politics

BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER

AUBURN – The Auburn City Council on Tuesday gave the city a financial road map for the next two years with its adoption of the biennial budget for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
That budget was approved by a vote of 7-0. Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold abstained from voting and Ward 6 Council Member Bob Parsons was not present.
Griswold said he abstained from voting due to what he perceived as a lack of information provided to the council in the months leading up to Tuesday night’s vote on the budget.
“The budget presentations by the department heads were very impressive and very informative, but there was very little actual budget material covered during those briefings. Without a deeper look into what makes up the budget, I will be abstaining on this,” Griswold said.
Ward 3 Council Member Beth Witten told her fellow council members that she felt they were adequately briefed on the proposed budget well before they voted on it.
“I would like to thank City Manager Crouch for a thorough explanation of our budget and the different departments, and the finance department as well. Adding to that conversation, I personally feel like we were given quite a bit of information to digest through multiple presentations,” Witten said.
Here is an overview of the 2026 and 2027 budgets.

GENERAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES

The 2026 and 2027 budgets project that the city will bring in $158.9 million in revenue in 2026 and $162.8 million in revenue in 2027. Those are the third-largest and largest single-year revenues the city has projected to add to its coffers ever, respectively.
While the 2026 budget projects that the city’s revenues will fall by just under 1.4% from this year, the 2027 budget represents a 1.04% increase from 2025, continuing a general trend of growing revenues year-over-year.
Simultaneously, the city projects it will spend a record amount of money next year — $173.8 million, or a 1.58% increase over the 2025 budget — before tightening its 2027 expenditures to $168.1 million, which would mark a 3.26% decrease from 2026.
A major factor driving that decrease in expenditures over time is the city spending less money on various project operations, specifically general projects and public works projects. In total, the city projects it will spend $10.7 million less on projects in 2027 than in 2026.

DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES
Among the largest spending increases from 2025 to 2026 will be administrative services and development services. In total, the city projects it will spend $14.8 million on administrative services and nearly $9.5 million on development services. Those figures represent 8.2% and 11.4% increases over 2025, respectively.
In 2027, the budget calls for limited spending growth on administrative services and development services in 2027 to 0.3% and 0.1%, respectively.
The single-largest increase for an individual department will go toward the Auburn Public Library. According to the biennial budget, the library system will receive $3.8 million in 2026 and 4.9 million in 2027. Those figures represent 8% and 29% funding increases from 2025 and 2026, respectively.
The city also plans to continue increasing spending on public safety. While the Auburn Fire Department budget remains flat at $13.6 million in 2026, it will receive $14.5 million in 2027 — a 6.2% increase compared to 2026. That comes after several straight years of substantial increases to the department’s budget.
At the same time, the Auburn Police Department will continue to receive funding increases. After receiving $22.3 million in 2025, it will receive $23.3 million in 2026 and nearly $24.3 in 2027. Those figures reflect 4.7% and 4% budget increases, respectively.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

  • The council approved a $127,492 contract with CSL Services for a long-term sanitary sewer flow monitoring initiative.
  • The council approved a lease renewal contract with Koul Properties for the commercial space where CityCare is located. The new lease includes a four-year term and the option to extend the original term for three successive periods of three years each. The value of that contract is $5,279.83 per month, or $63,357.96 per year, and includes a 2% increase each year after the initial four-year term ends.
  • The council approved a $50,138 contract with North America Fire Equipment Company for uplifting equipment for a new tiller truck for the fire department.
  • The council reappointed Bill Ham and appointed Cristen Herring to the Industrial Development Board. Their terms begin on Oct. 10 and end on Oct. 9, 2031.
  • The council reappointed Dolly Marshall to the Lee County Youth Development Center Board of Directors. Her term begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30, 2029.
  • The council announced four vacancies on the Tree Commission. The unexpired term will begin upon appointment and end on Nov. 7, 2026. The other three terms will begin on Nov. 8 and end on Nov. 7, 2028. The council will make those appointments at its Oct. 21 meeting.
  • The council announced a vacancy on the Education Building Authority. That term begins on Nov. 12 and ends on Nov. 11, 2031. The council will make that appointment at its Oct. 21 meeting.
  • The council approved an alcohol beverage license for the Sigma Nu Alumni Event UGA Gameday. That event will be held at 715 W. Magnolia Ave.
  • The council approved an alcohol beverage license for the Kappa Alpha Alumni Event UGA Gameday. That event will be held at 940 Lem Morrison Drive.
  • The council approved an alcohol beverage license for the Kappa Alpha Alumni Event Missouri Gameday. That event will be held at 940 Lem Morrison Drive.
  • The council accepted a public sanitary sewer easement located at 906 Janet Drive from Carol E. Dillard and authorized payment of $9,960.
  • The council approved a penalty waiver request from Acushnet Company for $3,324.56 in penalties for failure to pay sales taxes. All sales taxes have been paid, and the company had not previously filed a waiver request.
  • The council approved the annexation of 5.83 acres located at 301 Persimmon Drive.
  • The council approved the annexation of 22 acres at Barrons Mobile Home Park, which is located at 2045 Wire Road.
  • The council approved the rezoning of 5.83 acres located at 301 Persimmon Drive from rural to industrial.
  • The council approved the rezoning of 10.1 acres located at 306 Persimmon Drive from rural to industrial.
  • The council approved the rezoning of 10.1 acres located west of Wrights Mill Road and south of Interstate 85 from rural to development district housing.
  • The council voted to apply the planned development district designation to 10.1 acres located west of Wrights Mill Road and south of I-85 as part of The Orchard development.
  • The council approved a performance residential use for an eight-unit development located at 406 N. Donahue Drive.
  • The council approved a commercial support use for contractor warehouses and offices located at 301 Persimmon Drive as part of the Persimmon Drive Development Project.
  • The council approved a commercial support use for a contractor’s office, warehouse and storage yard located at 306 Persimmon Drive as part of the Persimmon Drive Development Project.
  • The council approved an industrial use for an automotive manufacturing facility operated by Pyongsan America at 760 W. Veterans Blvd.
  • The council approved a $765,730 tax abatement for Pyongsan America. The company plans to hire thirty new employees over the next three years and invest more than $9.7 million.
  • The council approved a Type 1 Federal Firearms License for firearm customization company Centre Comm, which is located at 1937 Whatley Road.

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