JC Public Works puts forth $30.9 million budget

The Johnson City Public Works Department has proposed a total $30.9 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027 across general fund asks and enterprise funds. The department's $9.9 million proposed general fund operating budget increased slightly (up 0.4%) from the current fiscal year, according to a public works budget presentation. Additionally, public works has put forward a $3.5 million supplemental general fund request. If approved, the $3.5 supplemental budget would fund several personnel and equipment additions and an extra $1 million for street resurfacing. According to the presentation, the supplemental funds will add three full-time downtown maintenance positions, a temporary night-shift maintenance position, a new eight-piece full-time construction crew. The funds will also support the purchase of several replacement trucks and garbage trucks with winter attachments. Currently, the average age of all public works equipment and vehicles is around 17 years, according to the presentation. Enterprise funds from city stormwater and solid waste fees cover $17.4 million of the total $30.9 million budget. Public Works has proposed $3.6 million of this to replace six trucks, including five automated trash trucks and purchase three new pickup trucks and an excavator. The department's total operating budget doesn't include its capital improvement requests for the upcoming fiscal year. The Johnson City Public Works budget was presented to commissioners before a city announcement Tuesday that raised concerns that some ongoing road projects may have not passed through the commissions that state code requires. At a meeting with downtown business owners Tuesday, the city announced that its plans to narrow West State of Franklin Road for parking would be postponed because, per state code, they must be approved by the planning and city commissions before construction begins. Because of this oversight in procedure, City Manager Cathy Ball said she "has no way of knowing" how many road projects the city has failed to bring in front of the planning commission for approval. If an ongoing project was discovered to be unlawful, construction must be paused and the project would have to be approved by the appropriate commissions before work can restart. When asked if any changes to the public works budget had been made as a result of the West State of Franklin delay and other potential construction halts, Assistant City Manager Nick Geis said no changes have been made. "We have not made changes to the Public Works budget," the email from Geis said. "As we continue to evaluate the state code and its impact on operations, we will determine if any projections need to be amended."