Beaufort adopts FY2027 budget with two police positions and expanded housing-repair aid

Beaufort City Council adopted the city’s fiscal 2027 budget on second and final reading June 9, approving a balanced spending plan that maintains the millage rate at 73.9 mills.

The adopted budget adds funding for two additional Beaufort Police Department officers and includes cost-of-living and merit increases for city employees. It also increases funding for the Housing Repair Assistance Program by 50 percent.

Public safety and housing assistance

The plan sets public safety, infrastructure, employees and community partnerships among the city’s stated priorities for fiscal 2027. For residents, the most direct changes are the planned expansion of police staffing and the larger allocation for housing-repair assistance.

The two police positions are funded in the budget, but the city manager’s report does not say whether the positions have been filled or identify their start dates. Likewise, the report gives the percentage increase for the housing program but does not state the resulting dollar amount.

The Housing Repair Assistance Program is part of the city’s adopted spending priorities for the new fiscal year. The 50 percent increase establishes a larger funding commitment than in the prior plan, although the public report does not provide the total program allocation.

Millage rate remains unchanged

Maintaining the rate at 73.9 mills gives Beaufort a clear tax-policy result in the FY2027 budget. The unchanged rate applies to the city’s budget decision; it does not by itself establish that every property-tax bill will remain the same.

The city manager’s report also does not provide the total dollar amount of the adopted FY2027 budget. It does identify the plan as balanced and outlines the areas receiving emphasis: public safety, infrastructure, city employees and partnerships with the community.

The City of Beaufort’s published 2026 meeting schedule lists Beaufort City Hall, at 1911 Boundary Street, as the council meeting location and includes an Aug. 18 council meeting. The schedule does not identify that meeting as a budget implementation deadline or provide a separate next step for the newly adopted plan.

With final approval complete, the FY2027 budget is the city’s adopted framework for spending and staffing during the fiscal year. Its specific effects will depend on how the funded police positions, employee increases and expanded housing-repair assistance are carried out.