Milford City Council Budget Workshop - May 14, 2026

The City of Milford City Council held a budget workshop on May 14, 2026, beginning at 6:03 PM, covering vehicle and equipment replacements, property tax revenue, utility revenues, and personnel. Councilmembers provided direction to staff for the second draft of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Julie Morris (Resident) spoke during the public comment period. She argued that the council's approval of growth pressures departments and pushes costs to taxpayers. Ms. Morris highlighted the structural imbalance in the general fund, noting the proposed tax increase alongside $400,000 in new revenue from growth. She criticized the city's refusal to release a staffing study paid for by constituents, the volume of FOIA requests stemming from a lack of direct transparency, and the city's policy against volunteers. She questioned paying interns $19/hour, the lack of budget impact discussion regarding the unionization of public works, and the lack of financial transparency from Carlisle and DMI.

Discussion Items

• Budget Reconciliation: Lou Vitola acknowledged discrepancies between the detailed budget document and the summary slides, attributing them to depreciation and debt service accounts that were not properly reconciled. Councilwoman Khalisas verified the checks and noted variances across several departments. It was clarified that the summary slides represent the active working draft. Staff committed to providing a public reconciliation in the second draft of the budget.
• Vehicle and Equipment Replacement: Staff presented the vehicle replacement program, detailing $4.5 million in contributions against $3.1 million in spending. Larger replacement items ($100k+) included a leaf vac trailer (replacement requires 1 operator instead of 3, saving approximately $10,000 in labor), a solid waste vehicle (high mileage, an estimated $48,000 in needed repairs, moving the fleet from 4+1 to 5), and a 2013 dump truck (underutilized at roughly 100 hours annually, to be replaced with a more efficient hook truck). Council specifically requested additional operational information on vehicles under the $100,000 threshold.
• Property Tax Rate and Revenue: The first budget draft proposed a 2.5 cent property tax rate increase to help balance the general fund, equating to approximately $37 to $38 per year ($3 per month) for the median residential household. Staff argued for a continued incremental increase to structurally balance the budget and cover mandatory cost increases ($458,000 in specific increases versus $400,000 in new growth revenue). Councilmembers expressed strong reluctance toward a 2.5 cent increase, advocating instead for a maximum increase of 1 to 1.5 cents and emphasizing the need to find operational efficiencies before raising taxes.
• Utility Revenues: No rate increases are planned for electric, water, or sewer funds for Fiscal Year 27. The solid waste fund is projected to have a small surplus of approximately $16,000.
• Personnel and FTE: Staff presented citywide personnel expenditures and a history of full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Detailed breakdowns of salary and wages, as well as overtime by department, were provided at the council's request.

Key Outcomes

• Direction to Staff: Council provided clear direction to return with a revised budget draft incorporating a significantly reduced property tax increase (signaling a preference for 1 to 1.5 cents over 2.5 cents) and identifying offsetting expenditure reductions.
• Process: Staff will produce a public reconciliation of the detail and summary budget slides. All council questions and staff answers will be shared publicly.
• Next Steps: The second draft of the budget will reflect the council's feedback on revenue assumptions and expenses.