PORTERDALE, Ga. — In a special called meeting on June 17, the city of Porterdale successfully passed a 2026 fiscal year (FY26) budget, beginning their first cycle operating on a July to June fiscal year.
Finance Director and City Clerk David Jahns presented the budget to the council, which was presided over by Mayor Pro-Tem Lowell Chambers in the absence of Mayor Michael Patterson.
The council voted unanimously to pass the budget after a motion was made by Councilwoman Halima Muhammad and seconded by Councilwoman Bekah Sue Sewell.
Government wide expenditures and revenues for FY26 are budgeted at $5,040,321.
The city is looking at a total general fund of revenues and expenditures breaking even at $2,641,620.
Because the city has operated on a six-month budget from January through June this year, recent numbers are not comparable with the new annual budget.
However, the six-month budget general fund for the first half of 2025 was $1,327,308. If doubled, to be comparable to a twelve-month budget, the general fund would come out to $2,654,616, which is nearly $13,000 greater than the proposed FY26 budget.
Jahns presented the council with a breakdown of expenditures and revenues. Of the general fund expenditures, 55% are set to go towards salaries and benefits. Services eat up another 24%, with the rest of the budget being distributed between supplies, capital, debt and interests, transfer and other costs.
A similar breakdown for general fund revenues was available.
Jahns estimates that property taxes will make up 37% of the revenue. Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) will fund about 18%. The remaining fund is made up of numerous categories, all of which make up less than 10% of the fund. They include: Insurance premium tax, TAVT, municipal fines, water franchise, sewer franchise, franchise tax - electric, building permits, solid waste franchise and other revenue.
The city also noted that it anticipates an increase in building permit revenue as the construction of Cedar Shoals is set to begin.
General fund salaries total at $1,168,798.02. Employees will receive a 3% cost of living pay increase on July 1, 2025.
Among expenditures, the city is also anticipating an increase to workers compensation insurance of 15% and a 9% group health insurance increase beginning in January 2026.
Government wide expenditures and revenues are budgeted at $5,040,321.
As the special called meeting also included a budget public hearing, citizens were invited to come and speak. Only one man spoke to the council, asking them to consider detailing a capital improvement plan in the future.
The council appeared open to considering this in the future, but progressed with passing the budget as-is that evening.
