During the Mayor and City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 9, Roswell’s City Council approved the budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025, which will begin on January 1, 2024. The approved budget—totaling $197,025,114—represents the City’s commitment to providing the highest level of services in a fiscally responsible manner.
Highlights of the FY2025 budget include:
- A calendar year–based budget, spanning from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.
- A balanced budget, with revenues meeting expenditures.
- No increase in the millage rate (property tax rate), which remained the same as the previous year at 4.949 mils.
- Maintenance of a General Fund Reserve of 25% or $25.3 million.
- Continued prioritization of Public Safety initiatives, including ongoing implementation of the transition to a full-time Fire Department and maintaining best-in-class pay for the Police Department.
- Merit-based compensation increases for City employees.
- The budget maintains and supports the Mayor and Council’s ambitious economic development strategy.
- The establishment of a new Customer Service Center within City Hall.
- Capital investments totaling approximately $4.8 million, including $4 million for road resurfacing, $319,580 for concrete equipment, and $470,848 for parking improvements.
The FY2025 budget also reflects the City’s efforts to streamline overhead and discretionary spending. In addition to deploying strategic budgeting practices to maximize resources and enhance service quality, the City will realign departments to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. These changes include integrating the Economic Development and Community Development departments, combining the Communications and Special Events divisions, merging the Park Police unit into the Police Department’s Traffic division, and establishing a Shared Services Support Team.
Staff positions have also been realigned to support strategic priorities, resulting in a reduction of 16 existing full-time positions and a decrease in funding authorized for part-time positions. Full-time staff being laid off will receive a separation package based on length of service at a minimum. To meet the current and future needs of the community and to enhance City services, the City is adding 15 new firefighters and creating five new positions for a concrete/traffic-calming crew, who will construct sidewalks and traffic-calming devices throughout the City.
The FY2025 budget also includes the financial impact of revenue related to the City’s existing parking inventory, which is expected to generate approximately $2.2 million in annual revenue. As explained by City leaders during the Dec. 9 meeting, with a capital investment of between $300,000 and $400,000 and an operating estimate of between $500,000 and $800,000, the City of Roswell can activate a parking business model using the City’s existing parking inventory. This model does not account for any revenue from the future downtown parking deck.
The estimated first-year operating revenue assumes the use of a dynamic pricing model consistent with the current hourly rate between $1 and $2 per hour, with a conservative weekday occupancy rate of 40% and a weekend occupancy rate of 70%. As a result, this will generate an estimated $2.2 million in annual revenue.
For additional information about the approved FY2025 budget, visit www.RoswellGov.com/Budget.
