Aiken City Council granted first-reading approval on May 11 to a budget spanning fiscal year 2026-2027. Property tax millage stays flat. But rates climb for water, sewer, solid waste, and stormwater services. The balanced budget also delivers a 4% pay bump to city employees.
City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh explained that the budget allocates funds for equipment and staff within the Department of Public Safety. Money also flows toward repairs and maintenance at parks and recreational sites, plus ongoing construction at Shaws Fork Water Treatment Plant and Tribute Parkway.
Council members passed an ordinance holding the millage rate at 60 mills. It hasn’t budged since 2021. “We have not increased millage since 1989, when it was set at 120 mills, and we have lowered the millage seven times since 1989 to 60 mills,” Bedenbaugh said, per the Aiken Standard…