The Mount Pleasant Personnel and Finance Committee met Thursday morning at City Hall to discuss several key financial items, including airport hangar utilities, insurance renewals, and the city’s draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
One of the main topics was utilities for new airport hangars. City staff and Air Advantage reached a compromise where the city will cover utility costs for the first six months. This will allow time to establish an average cost before Air Advantage assumes full responsibility and sub leases the hangars to aircraft owners.
The committee also reviewed health and dental insurance renewals, which came in under budget, offering some financial relief as the city works through early budget planning.
Mayor Steve Brimhall presented the first draft of the fiscal year 2027 budget. While the city had anticipated deficit spending in the general fund last year, officials reported ending slightly ahead, by about nine thousand dollars to end the FY2026 budget. However, projections show the city will likely need to rely on reserve funds moving forward, and future leadership may need to explore additional revenue sources.
Other anticipated expenses include upgrading police body cameras due to discontinued equipment, as well as potential equipment purchases for public works, including a dump truck, tractor, and mower.
The Committee also discussed future revenue options, such as franchise fees and potential adjustments to how local option sales tax dollars are allocated. Currently, sales tax brings in about one million dollars annually, most of which is dedicated to capital projects.
Officials also noted ongoing financial challenges with the city’s garbage program, citing unpaid resident bills as a contributing factor to losses
Additional topics included rising insurance costs on city buildings, updates to public works software, and the timeline for hiring a new city administrator, which is expected to move forward after early April.
The next budget discussion for the Personnel & Finance Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th, 2026 at 4:00 pm.