Mt. Pleasant adopts $4.35M general fund budget

MT. PLEASANT—Mt. Pleasant City’s adopted fiscal year 2026-27 budget shifts hundreds of thousands of dollars toward road improvements while trimming overall General Fund spending, reducing transfers for capital projects and maintaining contracted police services.

The Mt, Pleasant City Council approved a balanced General Fund budget of $4.35 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1, a decrease of about $56,700, or 1.3%, from the previous year’s $4.41 million budget. Budgeted revenues and expenditures each total $4,354,300.

The most significant spending increase comes in the streets department, where contractual road services jump from $29,301 to $400,000. Total street spending increases from $123,346 to $470,987, making transportation infrastructure one of the city’s largest budget priorities for the coming year.

Public safety spending remains relatively steady at just over $1 million, although the budget continues to reflect the city’s transition to contracted police services. Nearly all police funding is budgeted as a $945,000 payment to the North Valley Police Department rather than through individual operating accounts.

General government expenditures decrease to $1.05 million from $1.11 million. Much of the reduction comes from planning and zoning, where professional services fall from $63,034 to $10,000 after higher consulting costs in the previous budget. Buildings and grounds spending also declines because of lower projected utility expenses.

Parks, recreation and public property remains the city’s largest General Fund expenditure at $1.37 million, although the department’s budget falls by nearly $100,000. Recreation spending decreases following larger maintenance and capital improvement appropriations in the prior year, while funding for the equestrian center and aquatic center remains largely unchanged.

The budget anticipates modest changes in revenue. General sales and use tax receipts are expected to increase from $955,877 to $963,943, while current property tax revenue is projected to decline slightly from $236,336 to $232,298. Overall tax revenue is budgeted at about $2 million, down slightly from the previous year, while charges for services increase to $972,761. Intergovernmental revenue declines from $488,640 to $472,727.

The city also reduces transfers from the General Fund by more than $238,000. Total transfers fall from $658,414 to $420,377, primarily because the 2026-27 budget does not include a transfer to the Capital Projects Fund. Transfers to the debt service fund, landfill and fire district remain in place.

Among the enterprise funds, the Water Fund budgets $50,000 for capital equipment purchases while the Sewer Fund projects increased service charge revenue and substantially lower professional services costs than the previous year.