The City of Roswell mayor and council on Oct. 20 approved the first reading of a $229,987,271 budget for fiscal year 2026, with a 5-0 vote to advance the measure to a second reading and final adoption scheduled for Oct. 27.

City Administrator Randy Knighton and Director of Finance Adam Novotny presented the budget as balanced and without any staff reductions. "Our proposed budget is in balance with, revenues meeting expenses, and there is no reduction in headcount for staff," Novotny told the council during the presentation.

Why this matters: The proposed spending plan funds several capital projects and operating priorities that affect services and taxes in Roswell. Key items highlighted by staff included a $4,000,000 citywide resurfacing program, funding to transition the fire department to full time with 30 additional firefighters planned for 2026, and a $7,000,000 roof replacement for City Hall proposed to be financed through the Public Finance Authority (PFA). Novotny said a millage rate of 4.949 mills is estimated as part of the proposed budget, split as an estimated 4.049 mills for the general fund and 0.900 mills for bonded indebtedness; the council will set the millage rate later, before tax bills are issued.

Budget details and capital priorities
- Total proposed budget: $229,987,271 across all city funds. The presentation listed the general fund, water and sewer, stormwater, solid waste, recreation participation and multiple internal funds as components of that total.
- General fund highlights: projected general fund revenue of about $105,100,000; general fund balance reported at a little over $28,000,000 with a $25,000,000 required reserve leaving a net balance of about $2,700,000 and $4,300,000 of capital available as shown in Novotny’s slides.
- Capital projects called out: $4,000,000 for citywide resurfacing (city share ~ $3,100,000), $400,000 for traffic calming, $7,000,000 for a City Hall roof replacement, $3,000,000 for the green street mobility project and other items such as range revitalization and tourism/historic activation. Novotny said capital totals combine multiple funding sources across city enterprise funds.
- Utilities and enterprise funds: staff noted that charges for services make up the majority of water, sewer and stormwater revenue and that timing of large one-time items (for example, capacity fees or bond-funded projects) affects year-to-year comparisons.

Public comment and council discussion
Resident Roman Perzak, one of two citizens who spoke on the item, pressed for explanation of year-over-year increases in the all-funds total and asked why the proposed budget was substantially larger than prior years. Novotny and other staff explained that much of the dollar change is driven by capital carryforwards and large, multi-year project spending (he cited approximately $12 million in proposed PFA-related expenditures and other capital projects being carried forward into 2026).

Resident Daryl O'Hare urged the council to consider funding a feasibility study for a history center tied to Roswell’s historic properties and museums. He said the city has an opportunity to better interpret and present Native American, antebellum, post-Civil War and civil-rights-era history. Council members and Mayor Kurt Wilson expressed support for further study; Council Member Christine Hall referenced conversations with the Atlanta History Center and Council Member Sarah Beeson noted a line item to bring Doc's Cafe back online as one possible venue to better tell local history.

Council questions and follow-ups
Council members asked for additional line-item detail and follow-up answers on several points before the second reading, including: the composition of the apparent all-funds change between FY2025 and FY2026 (capital carryforwards, bond-funded activity and PFA spending), a clearer accounting line for short-term-rental license revenue (the short-term rental ordinance will be implemented Jan. 1 with a grace period through March 31), variances in several enterprise fund revenue lines (for example, water utility miscellaneous revenues and late charges), and the structure of recreation subsidies and fee recognition for participation programs.

Public Finance Authority financing and City Hall roof
The council discussed the $7 million City Hall roof project and staff recommended financing through the PFA. Council members and staff described the PFA as a financing tool that can be lower-cost and faster for smaller capital needs than larger general obligation or revenue bond issuances, and noted the PFA option can spread cost over multiple years while addressing what staff called an "imminent" need: repeated leaks and materials beyond useful life. The council asked staff to provide follow-up on bid/estimate status and contingencies; staff said contingency is included and that some contractor bids have been received but negotiations and final scopes remain to be completed.

Votes at a glance
- Motion: Approve first reading of the FY2026 budget for the City of Roswell, Georgia, in the amount of $229,987,271.
- Mover: Council Member Christine Hall. Second: Council Member William Mortland.
- Outcome: Motion passed on first reading (5-0); second reading and adoption scheduled for Oct. 27.

Next steps and follow-ups
Council directed staff to provide clearer line-item explanations and to circulate answers to several specific questions before the second reading. Novotny said complete budget documents and the presentation are available online and in hard copy through finance during business hours. The council closed the special-called meeting after the vote.

Quotes (from meeting transcript)
"Our proposed budget is in balance with, revenues meeting expenses, and there is no reduction in headcount for staff," said Director of Finance Adam Novotny during the presentation.
"I'm pretty surprised ... nobody is here. Shame in my opinion," said resident Roman Perzak during public comment.
"I would like to see in the budget the possibility for a history center," said resident Daryl O'Hare during public comment.

Ending
Council members and staff said they would publish follow-up answers to the specific accounting and revenue questions raised and reconvene Oct. 27 for the budget’s second reading and final vote.