Montgomery City Council Passes Record $353.2 Million Budget, 10% Raise For Firefighters Denied
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — The Montgomery City Council approved the largest budget in the city’s history Tuesday night, voting 6-3 to adopt a $353.2 million spending plan for fiscal year 2026.
The meeting grew tense as members clashed over leftover funds from the current year’s budget. Some council members believe the city will have more than $40 million in unspent money and pressed officials for details on how it will be used.
Mayor Steven Reed responded by waving his cell phone around in an animated fashion as he spoke.
“I got a text that said don’t let the mayor get all the discretionary funds, and it’s ironic that the text said exactly what’s being proposed here tonight,” Reed said. “If somebody’s feeding y’all the questions or the information, maybe they ought to feed y’all this during the budget season.”
City Chief Financial Officer Betty Beville told council members the money will go toward $13 million worth of equipment already approved for city departments.
“There’s no way, even with the auditors, that I can hide anything,” Beville said. “I just want to make sure you all understand where the dollars are going.”
District 1 Councilman Ed Grimes emphasized that the council’s questions were not meant as accusations.
“Mrs. Beville, we are just trying to find out where all the money goes, and in no way was anybody thinking you were gonna take money,” Grimes said.
A press release from Mayor Reed’s office states, “These reserves are not available for discretionary spending. Raiding them could tank the City’s bond rating and undermine Montgomery’s financial stability.”
A proposal by District 8 Councilman Glen Pruitt to include a smaller 5% raise for firefighters – they had asked the council for a 10% raise – narrowly failed in a 5-4 vote. Dozens of firefighters stood and walked out of the meeting in protest.
David Watson, president of Montgomery Fire Rescue Local Union 1444, argued the raise would save the city money in the long term by reducing overtime costs.
“We are running about 25 to 30 people every day that we’re hiring for overtime, which equates to about $7 million this year,” Watson said. “A 10% raise would be $4.2 million and is a lot cheaper than $7 million.”
The budget does include a 5% raise for all city employees.
In another contentious move, the council deadlocked 4-4 on whether to continue requiring council approval for contracts of $50,000 or more. With one member absent, the ordinance failed, giving the mayor more freedom to approve contracts without council oversight.
“My goal was transparency,” said District 7 Councilman Andrew Szymanski, who proposed the ordinance. “I thought it was really important for us as a council to understand how taxpayer dollars were being spent.”
The new budget also funds additional security cameras across the city and a new communication system for the Montgomery Police Department. Mayor Reed has 10 days to sign the budget into law.
To see the City of Montgomery’s proposed budget for FY 2026 click here.
