ALTO, Ga. — Alto’s repeatedly delayed 2026 budget remains unresolved because the town’s 2025 financials have only been reconciled through August, leaving council members without the data needed to accurately project revenues and expenses, a Georgia Municipal Association consultant told the council during a nearly three-hour meeting this week.
Council members said they called for monthly financial reports more than a year ago, but with more than four months of 2025 still unreconciled, projecting a realistic 2026 budget has been nearly impossible.
2025 Financials
Chief Financial Officer Lisa Turner told the council and GMA consultant Pete Pyrzenski that the delay stems from her work on a state-mandated audit, which she said has taken up most of her time.
Pyrzenski told the council that while staff prepares financial reports, elected officials are responsible for setting and enforcing expectations.
“You set the expectations you were supposed to get monthly reports,” Pyrzenski said. He said the council needs clear answers from Turner or the town’s CPA on where the town stands financially, including whether Alto is projected to finish 2025 over or under budget, before adopting a 2026 budget.
Pyrzenski warned that if the financials cannot be reconciled soon, the town should bring in outside help.
“If someone has the job responsibility, they should be able to push a button and print that out,” he said, adding that delays leave council members guessing and create tension between elected officials and staff. He said the responsibility ultimately rests with the council if expectations are not enforced.
Councilman Allen Fox said the late-year budget pressure is familiar but more severe than in the past.
“This is my sixth go-round at the end of the year having the press against the wall, but it’s never been so tight before,” Fox said. He warned that once a budget is adopted and pressure eases in January, the town risks repeating the same cycle unless underlying issues are addressed.
Employee overtime
Employee overtime was also cited as a significant challenge in building the budget. Pyrzenski said the town must identify which departments are driving overtime, what is causing it and how much it is costing.
He noted that Georgia law and the Fair Labor Standards Act require employees to be paid
for overtime worked and that the town cannot simply prohibit it. However, he said the council must put parameters in place to manage costs, such as tighter oversight, limiting hours or adding part-time help where appropriate.
Councilman James Turner said department heads should attend council meetings moving forward so questions can be answered in real time.
“All managers need to be at these meetings with us,” Turner said, adding that delays in getting answers compound budget problems.
City-owned vehicle use
Pyrzenski also urged the council to develop a written policy governing employees who take city-owned vehicles home. He said a clear policy would outline permissible and prohibited uses, protect taxpayer-funded assets and provide consistent expectations for employees. He cautioned the council not to rush the process and suggested setting a timeline, such as late February, to adopt the policy.
Addressing the immediate budget impasse, Pyrzenski said the town should not attempt to adopt a budget without a complete financial picture.
“If you can’t have a full budget by next week, there’s no way you can stop the budget because you don’t know where you are,” he said. “That’s my professional opinion.”
Pyrzenski urged Mayor Gail Thompson and Councilwoman PJ Huggins to contact a CPA as soon as possible to help reconcile the town’s finances and chart a path forward.
“We’re in trouble. We don’t have a balanced budget,” Pyrzenski said, encouraging town leaders to seek direct guidance on how to complete the reconciliation and finalize a budget as quickly as possible.
Council to-do list
Pyrzenski also outlined a to-do list for the council, including addressing overtime costs, appointing an interim employee if necessary and preparing to post a position for the water plant once accurate financial data is available.
The council took no action on the 2026 budget during the meeting.
