KEY INFORMATION:
- The April 17 regular meeting recap and podcast are available.
- Additional highlights from the 4/17 meeting.
- The 4/22 Budget Workshop recap, presentation, and video are available.
- Islanders have an opportunity to provide input on the budget at the May 15 public hearing or via email to the Village Council at any time.
Recap & Podcast for 4/17 Meeting
In the 4/20/2026 issue of the monthly Village’s Voice e-newsletter, we provided highlights of the presentations and some of the actions taken at the Village Council’s 4/17 regular meeting.
It was a lengthy meeting full of information. The full recap is now available HERE for your review. If you’d like to listen to a discussion-style recap of the meeting, you can listen to our podcast HERE which is generated from the meeting’s audio and agenda packet documents
Here are a few additional highlights:
- The Village Council adopted an updated Mission, Vision, and Core Values Statement. This was drafted in response to feedback provided at the annual retreat.
- There was discussion about funding items such as summer concert series, public restrooms, park pavilion, and potential property acquisition using money out of the BRRAT (Beach Renourishment, Recreation, and Tourism) fund. Council agreed to wait for the Wednesday, 4/22 Budget Workshop to see the full financial picture before committing any BRRAT expenditures (see the full Budget Workshop recap for additional discussion).
- Public Services Director JP McCann gave an update on two emergency spending items from the Utilities Department that were covered by the contingency line item in the Utilities fund. The first was the replacement of the reverse osmosis motor and pump, which they had on inventory, however the installation cost was $13,500. The second was a manhole installed on Palmetto Cove to address a sewer gravity issue at a cost of $51,000.
- Village Manager Chris McCall announced that the Village has selected an Emergency Services Director. Deputy Chief Paul Anderson from Tucson, Arizona, will be starting on July 1. He brings significant command, supervisory, and management experience.
Budget Workshop
The Village Council’s Budget Workshop was held on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The full video of the presentation and discussion can be viewed HERE; a full recap can be viewed HERE. Below are a few highlights of the presentation, some of the Council’s recommendations, and next steps.
The purpose of the budget workshop was to present a working draft of the FY 27 proposed budget, to share highlights, key changes, and department priorities, provide a platform for Council and staff discussion, and gather feedback to inform final budget decisions. The working draft presented reflects strategic planning from the annual Council retreat and staff’s input. The estimates presented are preliminary and meant to guide direction and are not final.
Budget Summary Highlights
Total General Fund Budget: $18.84M
- 5.1% (-$1,015,200) decrease from Current FY26 Budget. Primarily due to reductions in debt service and legal fees.
- Capital Investments: Road paving ($330,000), infrastructure upgrades, departmental capital needs, and transfers to Capital Reserve Fund totaling ~$1.1M.
- Tax Rate Impact: Rate proposed to decrease ($0.0257 Village-wide) in conjunction with reduced offsetting debt service contributions with accommodation taxes and overall reduced budget.
Staffing & Compensation: 1.5 FTE positions requested; proposes 3% COLA, and up to 4% merit for high performers; slight increases in retirement and insurance expenses.
BRRAT Fund: Continues to support shoreline protection, beach access maintenance, tourism, recreation, and debt service payments (in General Fund).
Utilities Fund: Rate adjustments proposed to fund operational needs, system improvements, capital outlay and personnel in water and wastewater services in accordance with Village’s recent rate study. The new minimum monthly utility bill (not including stormwater) as proposed, comes to $142.11 (up $7.41 from $134.70).
Stormwater Fund: funding requested for 3 projects including the Timbercreek Outfall Erosion Mitigation, and 2 LASII Stormwater Implementation projects. Fund Balance is recommended to cover costs above stormwater rate collections.
Total Overall Budget (all funds): $26,720,200
Council Feedback/Direction
Road Paving – There was interest from Council members in spending more to get additional road paving done in FY 27. The Capital Reserve Fund set aside for road paving is new and does not have many funds available so the Finance Director advised that a revenue source would need to be found for the additional funds. Regarding recent public comments, managing expectations for road conditions and informing the public about the road paving schedule was advised.
Contingency – There was discussion on whether the Village has enough funds in its fund balance and whether it should be raising tax money to add to the general fund for the contingency fund, which can go unspent. It was suggested that the Village could consider weaning off it. Others thought it should be eliminated altogether and that taxes could be lowered or funds could go to additional road paving. Overall, Council gave staff direction to look at how conservative the budget is, how much redundancy there is in the contingency, how much of the general fund balance is reserved, and where the Village falls in its fund balance policy.
UDO – The Village Council expressed interest in moving forward with the development of a Unified Development Ordinance which will help consolidate and update the Village’s development ordinances in an improved format. The estimated cost is around $100k and the Village Manager suggested that some of the funds allocated to the contingency item could be reallocated to the UDO project.
BRRAT Fund – There was consensus that the Village should have a multi-year plan for the BRRAT (Beach Renourishment, Recreation & Tourism) fund. There was a discussion about breaking down the fund and determining how much is allocated to each priority. Some felt that until that fund fully pays for the beach, it should all go to the beach.
Next Steps
- Manager submits recommended budget to Council on Monday, May 4, 2026
- Public Hearing on Budget at Friday, May 15th, Council meeting
- Optional Budget Workshop – Thursday, June 11, 2026 (if needed)
- Budget Adoption: Thursday, June 18, 2026 (regular council meeting)
Public Input on FY 27 Budget
As mentioned above, there will be a Public Hearing on the FY 27 budget on Friday, May 15, 2026. Islanders can sign up at this meeting to speak about the proposed budget. Islanders can also contact the Village Council at council@villagebhi.org.
The Manager’s Recommended budget and all budget-related documents and information can be found on the “Annual Budget” webpage HERE.
Thank you for reading this Village’s Voice announcement and for taking the time to stay informed on Village news and events. If you have any questions about the content in this announcement or about the Village’s departments and services, please reach out to us at public.information@villagebhi.org or (910) 457-9700 ext. 1025.