Rochester Voice 8:56 a.m.
Thursday, April 23, 2026 8:53 am
|
ROCHESTER - Rochester City Manager Katie Ambrose today confirmed her proposed total budget for the City of Rochester.
"As proposed, it is $162,967,427 including Enterprise & Special Revenue funds (which do not impact the tax cap & property taxation)," she told The Rochester Voice. "Excluding those funds, it is $136,550,996. Additionally, the total CIP budget is $28,360,100."
Her proposed budget, inclusive of City, County, and School appropriations, comes in $175,168 below the tax cap and reflects a continued commitment to strong fiscal health. The proposed budget is based on the allowable FY 2027 tax effort of $82,548,659, an increase of $3,460,719 (4.38%) over FY 2026, calculated per City Charter requirements by applying 2.63% CPI and 1.75% Net New Construction to the FY 2026 tax effort of $79,087,939.
The proposed FY 2027 budgets break down as follows:
- City & County Budget: $45,891 below the tax cap
- School Budget: $129,277 below the tax cap
- Total: $175,168 below the tax cap
In developing the budget, departments were directed to limit Operating & Maintenance (O&M) budget increases to 3 percent, exclusive of salaries and benefits. Any budget increases beyond this threshold required a formal "Issues & Options" (I&O) submission. Departments submitted 20 I&O requests totaling $1,432,309, of which 11 were included, totaling $141,351, and 9 were excluded, totaling $1,290,958.
The FY 2027 Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) Budget is proposed at $28,360,100, supporting a variety of long-term infrastructure and departmental needs, and ensuring strategic investment in the City's future, according to a city release on Wednesday.
The FY 2027 General Fund is supported by revenues of approximately $59 million for City services and $76.6 million for the School Department. A full breakdown of revenue sources and expenditures is available in the budget documents.
City Council will host a Budget Retreat at City Hall on Friday, May 8, beginning at 9 a.m. During the retreat, the Council will review information related to the operating and capital improvement budgets for various municipal departments.
There will be opportunities for public input throughout the budget process, including a public hearing on May 19. Community members are strongly encouraged to participate, either in person or by submitting written comments in advance. Visit www.rochesternh.gov/getinvolved to learn more about providing public input.