2027 City Budget and 5% Employee Raises
Summary
Non-union employees, contract-covered union employees, and elected officials all get 5% raises in 2027 — following a 10% raise last year. Supporters say competitive pay keeps quality workers; dissenters want a market study first and worry about future layoffs.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 2
Rising — discussed at 4 meetings since Sep 10, 2026, up from 1 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Raises stack on last year's 10% — roughly 16% over two years of fixed salary cost, per Blair's estimate.
City workers and elected officials get a raise to help with groceries, gas and inflation.
Griffith and Blair argue taxpayers may face future service cuts or layoffs if raises outpace revenue.
Mentions & discussions (5)
City Council - Oct 15, 2026
Four new facilities coming next year — a new street department, animal shelter, RV park, and mountain bike facility — will need budgeting without known exact costs.
City Council Public Hearing (Budget) - Oct 5, 2026
The council held the public hearing stage of the 2027 budget and salary ordinance process. No residents attended to comment, so the hearing was adjourned quickly; the budget itself was not debated or adopted at this hearing.
City Council - Sep 17, 2026
Non-union employees, contract-covered union employees, and elected officials all get 5% raises in 2027 — following a 10% raise last year. Supporters say competitive pay keeps quality workers; dissenters want a market study first and worry about future layoffs.
City Council - Sep 10, 2026
New Albany's 2027 budget fully funds police, fire, streets, and parks without service cuts, includes a 5% raise for city employees, and puts about $6 million toward paving. It also carries about $400,000 for the 2027 municipal election. The final votes come September 17 through October 15.
City Council Budget Work Session - Aug 26, 2026
New state rules force building permit fees into a separate dedicated fund and require half of road (MVH) money to be spent on roads — extra accounting burden without new money. Senate Bill One already cost the city about $900,000 in one-time property tax revenue.
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