Harrisonburg council expected to adopt FY 2026-27 budget with flat tax rate
Harrisonburg council is expected to vote May 12 on a budget that keeps the real estate tax rate flat while utility bills shift modestly.
Harrisonburg City Council is expected to adopt the city’s FY 2026-27 budget on May 12, and the main takeaway for residents is straightforward: the real estate tax rate is staying flat, but some city service bills are changing.
In the proposed budget, the city keeps the real estate tax rate at $1.01 per $100 of assessed value. That means homeowners should not see a city property-tax-rate increase in this budget cycle, even as other parts of the bill shift.
The bigger day-to-day changes are on utility and sanitation costs. According to the city’s budget materials, the average water and sewer customer would see a monthly increase of about $1.95. Residential sanitation fees would fall by $3 per month.
That combination matters because it shifts part of the city’s revenue mix away from the property tax rate and onto service charges. For residents, the practical effect will depend on whether they own a home, rent, or receive city utility service directly. For many households, the most visible change will be on the utility bill rather than the tax bill.
The budget also calls for a larger transfer to Harrisonburg City Public Schools. The city’s budget documents show that school funding is one of the more notable spending shifts in the plan, even as the overall tax rate stays level.
For parents and school employees, that transfer is a key part of the city’s spending picture. For taxpayers, it is also a reminder that a flat tax rate does not mean no budget changes. Cities can hold the rate steady while still changing how they allocate money across schools, utilities, sanitation, and capital needs.
The budget materials also point to broader capital priorities, including work tied to city facilities and long-term infrastructure planning. Those projects are part of the backdrop for the current budget, but the clearest resident impact in this vote remains the mix of a flat tax rate, a modest water and sewer increase, and a lower sanitation fee.
If council adopts the budget as expected, the city will move into the new fiscal year with the rates and spending plan laid out in the adopted budget document. Residents who pay city utility bills should watch for the monthly changes to show up there, while homeowners can expect the real estate tax rate to remain at the current level unless a later action changes it.
For anyone following city hall closely, the vote is part of the regular budget cycle, but it still sets the cost and service baseline for the year ahead. The most immediate changes are small on their own; together, they show how the city is balancing school support, utility costs, and household bills in the new budget.
