A day-long budget work session was the focus of the Burlington City Council after two weeks of work on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. Among discussions are three city-owned properties that don’t currently fall under the city’s Capital Improvement Program–the Burlington Public Library, Burlington Memorial Auditorium and Community Field–but are included under the proposed budget. Burlington City Manager Chad Bird said that needs at all three facilities have been handled as issues arose under a “break-fix” approach. He said adding the projects to the Capital Improvement Plan — which typically spans five years and can extend to 10 for planning — would allow the city to address those needs in a more deliberate and strategic way.
Mayor Jon Billups said he has encouraged city staff to involve the city council in Capital Improvement Plan discussions and to broaden the plan to include a full 10-year outlook for future projects.
