Councilwoman Samantha Ingram shared FY27 budget proposal updates, spending priorities and holiday outreach plans at September 10th’s District 2 Virtual Chat.
Although the proposed budget would decrease by $12 million from the $416 million FY26 budget, Ingram says the difference reflects a move toward a “healthier budget” for the city by reducing reliance on fund transfers.
Spending priorities include public safety, which would receive about $135 million; public transit, which could expect $14.9 million; a little over $562,000 budgeted for a new grants administration department; and $735,000 for the Africatown community.
Highlights include nearly $3.96 million in projected revenue from the city’s cruise terminal alongside a budget expense of $6 million for the city’s convention center.
Ingram also shared that the city would establish a new External Affairs Department call center to review use-of-force videos and facilitate public safety accountability between the community and law enforcement.
The proposal for the center comes after concerns were raised by videos Ingram says the council has received over the past year, likely including a May incident and, more recently, a September incident downtown.
“We have yet to get a status of what’s happening in these videos and what’s the course of action,” Ingram shared. “…And so I’m excited that they are starting a new call center for external affairs.”
Holiday outreach plans for District 2 will focus on providing apparel and cold-weather essentials for unsheltered populations to ensure the city has “various services there available for them, so it’s not just come get your jacket, come get your coat.”
You can find a PDF of the budget proposal here.
District 2’s next community meeting will be October 15th at Leinkauf Elementary School at 6 PM and will focus on holiday outreach planning.