As budget planning for the upcoming fiscal year begins, Roanoke Rapids City Manager Kelly Traynham said it is not the intent of staff to propose a tax increase and the city intends to maintain the current rate.

She made her comments following Tuesday’s city council meeting in which she gave the panel and overview of the 2025-26 budget calendar.

“We have some general ideas,” she said. “There’s some fixed costs and things we normally have but as far as any economic outlook, right now our intent is to not to propose a tax increase and to maintain the current rate.”

She said the city has to look at all of its needs. “We understand that we just had an adjustment based on the tax rate and we really want to keep it at what it is and not adjust it.”

Traynham said the retirement contributions that the city has to have for both law enforcement and civilians are expected to go up but the release of those numbers have been delayed until April, numbers the city usually receives in February. “Right now we have very healthy financial reserves. We’re trying to be very prudent in spending the taxpayers' money and maintaining a healthy financial position.”

Last year’s budget ordinance set the tax rate at 61.4 cents per $100 value, which was 2 cents less than the former rate after the property revaluation by Halifax County.

The lengthy budget process is already underway and will end in June with two possible dates for final review and adoption — June 3 or June 17.

Department heads during this month are provided online operational and capital budget forms from which they will prepare budget requests that include departmental and capital expenditures with the exception of salaries, benefits, debt payments. These are due on March 3 so departmental budget conferences can begin with the city manager and finance director from March 5 through March 10.

From there, general fund revenues, salaries, benefits and debt estimates will be reviewed through March 28.

From March 31 through April 4 the city manager and finance director begin to make revisions to the budget and prepare the proposed financial plan for submission to the mayor and council.

Budget work sessions with the council are scheduled from April 14 through April 17 and on May 6 Traynham is expected to present the budget and budget message to the council.

A public hearing is set for May 20 and then the council will have the option to review and adopt the budget either on June 3 or June 17.