Roanoke Rapids City Council is adjusting its meeting schedule beginning next month to start early budget talks.

The council Tuesday approved revising the schedule for the remainder of this fiscal year to hold budget workshops on the first Tuesday of each month and set the third Tuesday of each month for its regular meeting.

In a memo to the council, City Manager Kelly Traynham said, “The city is beginning preparation of the FY 2027-2028 budget. A structured series of budget workshops will allow council and staff to review financial conditions, operational service needs, staffing requirements, departmental requests, revenue assumptions, and capital priorities in a deliberate and transparent manner.”

The memo also said, “Establishing separate workshops and regular meeting dates will help distinguish policy and financial planning discussions from routine business requiring formal council action.”

The change, she said, will move the public comment section to the third Tuesday meetings.

Traynham told the council, “Some meetings have a few items. Some don’t. We don’t like to cancel meetings for lack of agenda items, but we do have a lot of things that we need to talk about and work on, especially when it comes down to our budget and making decisions that are meaningful for our community.”

Many times, she said, “budgeting is something that we look at in one condensed timeframe. I think in a budget session environment, we would be able to hear more and receive some special presentations. I’m going to be more intentional about aligning our budget with our plan and for improving the quality of life for our citizens.”

The first budget session will be held on November 4 at 5:30 p.m. She said, however, the location could be subject to change, but would be advertised accordingly.

As of Tuesday’s meeting, 27 percent of this year’s budget has been expended, according to data through the end of September, acting Finance Director Krista Rourk told the council in her report.

During September, general fund receipts totaled $8,734,678 while expenditures totaled $5,609,690. As a result, revenues exceeded expenditures by $3,124,988.

During the month of September, the city received the following:

July and August ad valorem taxes

July sales/use taxes

July hold harmless taxes

Residential solid waste fees

Commercial solid waste fees

Powell Bill funds

Interest revenue

Grants and donations