Roswell
Budget in Focus
What does it take to run Roswell? Explore the City’s FY2027 budget process, learn how funding supports everyday services and find opportunities to share your input.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Understanding the Budget
Behind Your City Services
Budget in Focus shares facts about City departments, the people who deliver services and the resources needed to support their work. Throughout the budget process, we’ll explain how the budget is built, highlight survey feedback and explore the choices involved in funding community priorities.
What It Takes to Run Roswell
The staffing, equipment and maintenance behind everyday services.
What You Said
Findings from the community budget survey.
Budget Timeline
Key meetings and opportunities to participate.
How the Budget Is Built
The steps from department requests to Council adoption.
The Tradeoff
What funding choices support, change or delay.
Money Where It Matters
How different funding sources support City services and projects.
KEY DATES
FY2027 Budget Timeline
|
EVENT
|
DATE & TIME
|
LOCATION
|
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Budget Presentation
|
Monday, October 26, 2026
at 7 p.m. |
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill St. |
Public comment available
|
|
Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
|
Friday, November 6, 2026
from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
East Roswell Recreation Center
9000 Fouts Road |
Open to observe; no public comment
|
|
Proposed Budget First Reading
|
Monday, November 9, 2026
at 7 p.m. |
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill St. |
Public comment available
|
|
Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
|
Friday, November 20, 2026
from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
10495 Woodstock Road |
Open to observe; no public comment
|
|
Proposed Budget Second Reading and Scheduled Adoption
|
Monday, December 7, 2026
at 7 p.m. |
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill St. |
Public comment available
|
Workshops allow Mayor and Council to review the proposal and question staff in detail; residents may share comments during the October 26, November 9 and December 7 meetings.
KEY DATES
FY2027 Budget Timeline
Budget Presentation
Monday, October 26, 2026
7 p.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075
Public comment available
Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
Friday, November 6, 2026
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
East Roswell Recreation Center
9000 Fouts Road, Roswell, GA 30075
Open to observe; no public comment
Proposed Budget First Reading
Monday, November 9, 2026
7 p.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075
Public comment available
Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
Friday, November 20, 2026
Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075
Open to observe; no public comment
Proposed Budget Second Reading and Scheduled Adoption
Monday, December 7, 2026
7 p.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075
Public comment available
Workshops allow Mayor and Council to review the proposal and question staff in detail; residents may share comments during the October 26, November 9 and December 7 meetings.
TOOLKIT
Budget Resources
FY2027 Proposed Budget
Review the Mayor’s proposed spending plan, department requests and funding recommendations.
Budget Presentation
View the presentation explaining the proposed FY2027 budget and its priorities.
Community Budget Survey Results
View the priorities and feedback shared by 958 respondents to the City’s community budget survey.
Mayor and Council Meeting Materials & Recordings
Access meeting agendas, supporting documents and available recordings to follow budget deliberations.
Inside Roswell Podcast: Understanding the Budget
Hear Mayor Mary Robichaux and Finance Director Adam Novotney discuss how the City’s budget comes together.
Budget in Focus Facts & Explainers
Explore facts about City services, department responsibilities and the choices behind budget decisions.
FAQs
Departments identify service needs and submit requests. Finance and City Administration review those requests against projected revenue and funding requirements, the Mayor presents a proposed budget, and Council reviews, considers amendments and adopts the spending plan.
No. The proposed budget provides a starting point for Council review and deliberation. Funding requests and recommendations may change before adoption.
Different funding sources support different purposes. Some dollars have restrictions that limit their use, so the City must consider both how much funding is available and which expenses it can support.
Administrative support decreased from four positions to two, with one supporting three departments. Technical and operational employees absorbed additional administrative duties, contributing to delays in responding to questions about paving, potholes, projects and signal timing.
Existing landscape crews absorbed work previously covered by a right-of-way landscaping contract. Those crews also handle weeding, planting and storm-debris cleanup, and the department reports mowing each area approximately once a month.
The City brought previously contracted stormwater work in-house. Those positions support maintenance, inspections and response activities previously performed by outside contractors.
Water operations require continuous coverage for treatment, regulatory compliance and system reliability. Aging infrastructure adds maintenance demands, while recruitment challenges and coverage requirements contribute to overtime.
Staffing growth primarily supports the City’s transition to a full-time fire service. Of the 138 full-time positions added citywide since FY2022, 103 were Fire Department positions.
The department’s staffing model provides continuous coverage across three shifts, seven stations and 14 operational units. Delivering that service also requires equipment, maintenance and ongoing training.
Community Development processes an average of 140 open records requests monthly. Following the Records Coordinator position elimination in 2023, professional staff absorbed those requests alongside technical duties and customer service.
The department’s sole arborist handles more than 200 tree permits monthly, along with tree-plan reviews and assessments for City departments and capital projects. That workload limits time for field services and long-term urban forest planning.
Council added funding for two full-time officer positions in FY2026 and established a new business registration fee to support the program, which is structured to be essentially self-funding.
The department reports an estimated 240-hour weekly maintenance staffing shortfall in FY2026. With additional facilities coming online, that shortfall could increase to approximately 385 hours weekly in FY2027 at FY2026 funding levels, requiring staff to prioritize maintenance needs.
Efforts to recover program costs have led to the elimination of some offerings, including certain active adult programs and reduced-fee swim lessons for low-income families. Reduced part-time staffing budgets have also required staff reassignments and changes to facility operating hours.
Aging systems and deferred replacements increase repair demands. That leaves less staff time for preventive maintenance and planned improvements.
Resident and Business Services brought permit intake, business licensing and registration, cashiering, recreation registration and customer service into one operation through position transfers. The consolidated approach allows the City to track requests, identify trends and monitor how inquiries are resolved.
Three full-time positions were added as services moved in-house. The department reports that this change improved responsiveness and generated City budget savings.
Facts of the Day
FY2027 Roswell Budget in Focus
A closer look at Roswell’s FY2027 Budget, City services, funding priorities, and the resources that support our community.
RoswellConnections.com
FY2027 Roswell Budget Timeline
The City of Roswell’s FY2027 budget development process includes the following meetings and milestones:
October 26, 2026 — Budget Presentation
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Meeting: City Council Meeting
Location: Roswell City Hall, Council Chambers
Address: 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia
November 6, 2026 — Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: East Roswell Recreation Center
Address: 9000 Fouts Road, Roswell, Georgia
November 9, 2026 — FY2027 Proposed Budget, First Reading
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Meeting: City Council Meeting
Location: Roswell City Hall, Council Chambers
Address: 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia
November 20, 2026 — Mayor and Council Budget Workshop
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
Address: 10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell, Georgia
December 7, 2026 — FY2027 Proposed Budget, Second Reading and Adoption
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Meeting: City Council Meeting
Location: Roswell City Hall, Council Chambers
Address: 38 Hill Street, Roswell, Georgia
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.
A Look at Facility Maintenance
The City of Roswell’s Facilities Division reports the following maintenance workload statistics:
- Approximately 300–350 maintenance work orders are received each month.
- Approximately 50 maintenance work orders were outstanding at the time of reporting.
- Approximately one week is the average maintenance work order completion time.
The Facilities Division receives approximately 300 to 350 maintenance work orders each month, with roughly 50 outstanding at the time of reporting. On average, work orders are completed within one week of submission.
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.
Five Services. One Centralized Operation.
Resident & Business Services consolidated five functions into one centralized operation through the transfer of existing City positions.
The five consolidated services are:
1. Permit Intake
Assists residents and businesses with submitting permit applications and navigating the intake process.
2. Business Licensing and Registration
Helps businesses complete licensing and registration requirements to operate in Roswell.
3. Utility Billing and Payments
Assists customers with utility billing questions, account information, and payments.
4. Recreation Program Registration
Helps residents register for City recreation programs, camps, classes, and activities.
5. Customer Service
Responds to resident questions, provides City service information, and directs requests to the appropriate department.
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.
Transportation Administrative Support
The City of Roswell’s Transportation Department has experienced a reduction in administrative support positions.
Administrative Staffing Comparison
Before: 4 administrative positions.
Now: 2 administrative positions.
Transportation’s administrative support decreased from four positions to two, representing a reduction of two positions.
The redistribution of work has contributed to longer response times for resident questions about paving, potholes, transportation projects, and traffic signal timing.
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.
Did You Know? City Finance Requires Specialized Expertise
Government accounting, procurement, grants management, and budgeting require specialized knowledge and experience that differ from private-sector financial work.
These specialized areas include:
Government accounting.
Procurement.
Grants management.
Municipal budgeting.
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.
Roswell’s Arborist Workload
More than 200 tree permits reviewed monthly by the City’s sole arborist.
The City of Roswell’s Community Development Department has one arborist who handles more than 200 tree permits each month.
In addition to reviewing tree permits, the City’s arborist also:
Reviews tree plans.
Conducts tree assessments for other City departments.
Conducts tree assessments for capital projects.
For additional information, visit RoswellConnections.com.