$22.7M budget with 5 new employees, 3 percent COLA
Graham’s city council acted this week to approve the budget recommended by city manager Megan Garner at last month’s meeting.
Garner proposed a 2-cent tax increase for Graham, the first property tax increase since revaluation in 2023.
The budget totals $22.7 million; Garner added five new city employees: a public relations specialist; building maintenance technician; sanitation collector; and three firefighters (one for each of three shifts).
All employees will get a 3 percent cost-of-living increase.
The largest revenue source for the city is its property tax collections. A penny on the tax rate is estimated to raise $270,215. About 35 percent of the revenues come from property taxes, another 30 percent from sales taxes.
The water and sewer budget is set at $13 million.
Water and sewer rates are scheduled to go up 4 percent. Monthly garbage and recycling fees will be increased by $1.00, from $13.50 per month to $14.50 per month.
Mayor Jennifer Talley highlighted some of the reasons for the budget and its tax increase – mentioning specifically an additional sanitation worker and a new garbage truck – but then alternated between praise for Garner’s work and her own historic opposition to property tax increases.
After about 20 minutes of Garner’s presentation and Talley’s ruminations, council member Bonnie Whitaker made a motion to approve the budget as presented. The budget passed 4-1, with Whitaker, mayor pro tem Ricky Hall, and councilmen Bobby Chin and Joey Parsons voting in favor; Talley cast the lone vote against.
