Afton council holds first budget workshop

AFTON - An increase to beatification grant funds, updates to city equipment and more were discussed by Afton City Council in the first budget workshop for fiscal year 2026.

Budget workshops, including the one held on Tuesday after the city’s regular council meeting, help discuss changes to be made for how funds will be allocated for the following year. These sessions are open to the public. All discussions which occur during the workshop are only proposed changes.

Exterior beautification grants were proposed to be given a boost. Last year, $5,000 was allocated for these grants, which are awarded to Afton homeowners who wish to improve the visual appeal of their property. A max of $500 is given to each grant, and are reimbursed using the funds after the work is completed.

Funds for the grants were proposed to be taken from the downtown facade program, which had budgeted $10,000 last year. Up to $5,000 can be awarded for renovation to street-facing facades owned by downtown property owners. An equal split between the two programs of $7,500 was proposed.

Mayor Michelle Burger sees these grants as a service to the people. “To me, this is a way to pay back to your community,” she said.

Funds for these projects come from Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds. In Afton’s 2024 fiscal year, the city received $139,272 in LOST funds, which is split into two accounts. One is for roads, the other for city projects.

LOST funds were proposed to be used for the rec field to be used for renovations to the field. Funds were used last year for the construction of a pickleball court. The board expressed a need for the rec board to formulate plans for these renovations to put a more accurate total to the budget, including any potential increases.

Council members agreed in how upkeep of these activity fields will help keep children interested in sports to stay in Afton, instead of families leaving to other communities.

Renovations for Fillmore Street were discussed, with an agreement on long-term planning will be needed to keep one of Afton’s most popular roads functioning. An Afton history lesson was brought up by Mayor Burger, where during a renovation on Fillmore in the ‘70s required each homeowner to pay for their section of the road. Some council members were in disbelief after learning about the incident. The council agreed the city should pay for the road if renovations were to occur in the future.

Projects discussed during council meetings in 2024, including repairing a retaining wall on the south side of Fillmore Street and adding sponsor bricks to the walking trail, were proposed to be added to the budget.

Funds for updated protective gear for Afton police was discussed. City employees could be seeing office equipment updated with new chairs and computers.

More proposed changes will be discussed in future workshops.