Annual Meeting & Budget Overview
The City and EWSD Annual Meeting (election) is Tuesday, April 8, 2025, from 7 am to 7 pm at the Champlain Valley Exposition in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion, 105 Pearl Street, Essex Junction.
The budget preparation cycle kicked off in September when the Finance Department and City Manager began working closely with Department Heads to develop their respective budgets. The culmination of this effort took place on December 3, 2024, during the City Council’s annual Budget Day, where the proposed FY 26 General Fund and Enterprise Fund budgets were presented to the Council. The City Manager and Department Heads outlined key elements of the budgets during the meeting. Links to the Budget Day meeting packet and the recording of the meeting can be found on the Annual Meeting & Budget Timeline page. This page will be updated with meeting packets and recordings of the meeting following each City Council meeting until the Annual Meeting.
The City Council has scheduled a series of upcoming events designed to foster discussion and gather feedback from residents. Throughout January and February, residents will have opportunities to attend Coffee Chats and Saturdays in the Park, along with appearances at Brownell Library events. Specific dates and times for these gatherings are available on the Annual Meeting & Budget Timeline page.
Proposed FY 26 General Fund Budget
As of 1/8/2025, the proposed FY26 City General Fund (GF) budget is a 2% or $287,887 increase from FY25 $12,004,124 to FY26 $12,293,511. This increase is supported mostly with an increase to the City tax levy of $169,855 or 1.5%.
The proposed budget would result in an estimated City General Fund tax rate, plus the tax agreement rate and economic development rate, of $1.0010, compared to $0.9861 in FY25, which is a 1.5% increase. The projected City tax cost for a $280k home in FY26 is an increase of $42 per year over FY25.
Ready to dive into this year’s proposed budget? Check out the City Department Heads discussing their general fund budgets as of 12/3/2024.
Community Meal & Budget Discussion
The City Council will once again hold a Community Meal and Budget Discussion on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the Champlain Valley Expo Blue Ribbon Pavilion. Starting at 11:30 AM, this community event provides residents the opportunity to interact with City Departments, Committees, and associated Organizations, learn about and ask any questions on the proposed FY 26 General Fund budget, enjoy a gathering with your neighbors, and have a delicious free meal. During the meeting, Essex Junction Recreation and Parks will also provide childcare for potty-trained children.
Community Meal & Budget Discussion Agenda:
11:30 AM: Visit with City Departments, Committees, and Organizations
Noon: Lunch Begins
12:30 PM: City Council Budget Presentation and Community Discussion